Augmentations in the Palace of Culture: Animate Soundscapes at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Collectively referred to as the Palace of Culture, the Carnegie Library and Museums of Pittsburgh, PA are among the United States' oldest philanthropic cultural institutions, housing some of the most significant and varied public collections endowed by industrialist, Andrew Carnegie [1]. The institution's diverse cultural offerings include Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Music Hall, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and a renowned public library. Nearly 125 years after the institution's founding in 1895, the Carnegie Public Library of Pittsburgh has endured generations of transformation. Specifically the library, as an architectural site for learning, has evolved its facilities and collections in response to periods of war, local socio-economic changes, and global shifts in industry and technology. Despite such transformation, the library remains steadfastly adjacent to the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History, and the Carnegie Music Hall, committed to offering full service cultural experiences to the public, free of charge. As the library expands its collections to reach a digitally native public with expanded offerings, including electronic music instruments and digital media collections, we ask how user experience might be specifically impacted by animated virtual media augmentations that bridge the library's historic and new media collections.