Explora Hub is a project promoted and developed by the Rome Children’s Museum to aggregate and disseminate its digital collection, with the source code available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) license. This initiative has two main objectives: to promote the digital reuse of software and to recognize the contributions of artists and developers who have worked with the Museum.
The strategy employed by Explora is in line with its guiding principles, representing a case study in Europe with a Children’s Museum distributing its software collection under an Open Source license. This initiative distinguishes itself by offering exhibit design and software features that are not typically found in commercial products, which may pose a challenge for smaller organizations attempting to develop interactive digital solutions. Nevertheless, Explora’s software is designed to be accessible and replicable, fostering a community of stakeholders engaged through the Explora Hub platform.
The development of exhibitions that focus on scientific education and family engagement frequently requires the creation of bespoke software. This process includes the design of prototypes specifically tailored to meet the museum’s needs, which can be modified to suit the requirements of other organizations with similar educational objectives. The sharing of this software is crucial for facilitating organizational growth and promoting social inclusion.
Software released under this open license will be made available through the GitLab and GitHub repositories. In addition, the Explora Hub platform will provide essential documentation, images, case studies, and contact information for the artists or developers associated with the software.
Therefore, Explora Hub acts as a digital showcase for the Museum’s digital and interactive collections. It aims to have an impact on both social and economic levels by supporting digital reuse initiatives and the spread of expertise, thereby providing cultural associations and other museums with equal opportunities for narrative and technological development.
The goal of the whole initiative is to provide a method and an example of sharing knowledge and resources as open access even for museums with unusual collections. The interactive exhibits in science centers and children’s museums are the main result of pedagogical research, both in terms of design and the development of specific software, sharing this knowledge can enhance the dissemination and replicability of these engagement solutions.
