It is a story that captured our imagination and resulted in astonishing breakthroughs in science and technology. Combining images from popular culture, politics, and even space suit technology, America’s space race is explored in a new and permanent exhibit at the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).

The DPLA “Race to the Moon” exhibit started as 2015 Capstone project by master of library and information students Danielle Rios, Dianne Bohach, Jennifer Lam and Bobi deMontigny. They focused on the period starting with the launch of Sputnik I in 1957 through the landing of Apollo 11 on the moon in 1969. The students addressed copyright issues, gained permissions as needed for the images and references, and developed metadata according to Dublin Core standards.

It is the second Capstone to achieve permanent exhibit status at the DPLA and one of 29 to date. In 2014, Greg Bem, Emily Felt, and Jessica Blanchard developed “From Colonialism to Tourism: Maps in American Culture" which demonstrated the influence of maps of how Americans ‘imagine, exploit, and interact with national geographies and local places.’ Senior Lecturer Helene Williams served as advisor for both projects.

About the DPLA
The Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. It strives to contain the full breadth of human expression, from the written word, to works of art and culture, to records of America’s heritage, to the efforts and data of science.