World’s Smallest Mollusk Museum is Size of Vending Machine
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Brooklyn Public Library introduced a new compact science museum today on the first floor of Central Library. The vending machine sized museums take complex science topics and squeeze them into small spaces. The first in the fleet focus on the mollusk—a slimy invertebrate who survives in every habitat on earth.
In spite of the tiny size, the museum features 15 different displays, including:
- holographic aquarium
- first-ever 3D print of an octopus brain
- three miniature movie theatres
- and of course, a bucket of slime!
“We are excited to be working with MICRO to bring innovative science and education programming to BPL,” said Christine Schonhart, assistant director of Central Library. “The exhibits complement our own STEM programming and commitment to innovation—and it has been fun to watch people discover the museum and start discussions about the mollusks and science.”
To enhance the museum’s exhibits, librarians have prepared a series of books for children and adults about mollusks, snails, slugs, clams, octopuses, and more. You can see the list here.
The world’s Smallest Mollusk Museum was designed by team of storytellers, designers and scientists at MICRO. It was honored with the New Media Award at the 2017 Tribeca Film Institute.
"Our mission is to bring science into new and unexpected places,” said Amanda Schochet, computational ecologist and co-founder of MICRO, the nonprofit group who created the museum. “The BPL is wonderful, at the center of so many communities in Brooklyn. It's not where you'd normally think to go visit octopuses and snails. But now you can! Launching a Smallest Mollusk Museum in the library system here will be the catalyst for thousands of conversations between strangers about science over the next year."
The museum continues the library’s commitment to providing educational programs in a variety of disciplines including science, technology engineering, and math (STEM). In addition to the museum, children, aged 5 through 12 can participate in Learning Lab, an enrichment program with free and fun activities and hands-on experiments.
About Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the fifth-largest library system in the United States, with 60 neighborhood libraries located throughout the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a large selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs, and public computers. BPL’s eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages, 24 hours a day, at our website: http://www.bklynlibrary.org/