Personal Digital Preservation: DC Public Library Opens “Memory Lab”
The new lab formally opened about a week ago.
From the DCPL:
Not sure what to do with your old home movies, audiocassettes or slides? The DC Public Library’s new Memory Lab can help.
[It’s a] space designed to help the public digitize and preserve videotapes, photographs and other family keepsakes.
Located in the Library’s Digital Commons, the Memory Lab features technology like scanners and VCRs along with and step-by-step instructions for saving items in a digital format. Customers will be able to convert and preserve photos; slides; VHS; VHS-C; DV; MiniDV; Audiocassette and files on 3.5″ floppy disks. Customers can save their files on a CD-R; an external hard drive; a USB drive or on a cloud storage platform.
Customers ages 13 and older can reserve a 3-hour Memory Lab session and follow instructions to use the equipment independently. While orientations are not required to use the space, attending a Memory Lab drop-in session before making a reservation is recommended.
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The Memory Lab joins the family of DC Public Library Labs that include the Fab Lab, Digital Commons and Studio Lab. Each space is designed to teach new skills, turn ideas into action and support collaboration using technology.
Visit the Memory Lab’s Webpage
Learn More: Memory Lab LibGuide
Filed under: Digital Preservation, Libraries, News, Preservation, Public Libraries
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.