Ah!
In Higurashi, there was a feature called the TIPS menu; it comprised of random one-off scenes, scenes shot from another character's perspective, and items (newspaper clippings, etc) from the world. It's been ages since I read Higurashi, but I remember it being a really cool way to add atmosphere that wouldn't have fit in the main story.
But really, anything you have in mind sounds good by me - and that sounds like a pretty cool idea, too! (Although, we're getting to the point that, uh, I'll admit I might end up leaning on the characters for help more often than not.. :P )