The following is a guest post by Adam Silvia, Curator of Photography, Prints & Photographs Division.
Thirteen years ago, on January 16th, 2008, Flickr announced The Commons, a space where libraries and museums can share photographs with the public, and the public, in turn, can share its collective knowledge with these cultural heritage archives. The Commons began as a partnership with the Library of Congress, which to-date has contributed over 35,000 images and received, in return, a wealth of information that has significantly enhanced the descriptions for thousands of those photos.
In 2020, the guiding objective of The Commons—“to provide a way for the general public to contribute information and knowledge”—inspired a new kind of collaboration between Flickr and the Library of Congress called: “COVID-19: American Experiences.” This project, launched last September, invites people to contribute images that reflect how the pandemic has impacted people’s lives and communities.