Curiosity Boxes

For Northamptonshire Libraries with Northampton Museums

We loved this project. We were asked to produce a resource which would stimulate curiosity and give young people the impetus to use their library for research, inspiration and enjoyment. We came up with the concept of creating curiosity boxes along broad themes using museum collections and activities to send people off onto learning journeys. ‘It’s like QI in a box’ as one librarian put it. Days spent searching the stores in Northampton revealed such glorious objects as witch bottles, tooth pullers, meteorites, a two tailed lizard and ‘radioactive’ shoe polish. We repurposed antique apothecary’s cabinets, an electric shock machine, suitcases and painter’s boxes to create each resource. They now travel round the county visiting libraries and inspiring curiosity.