central arkansas library system
DIY Memory Lab
The DIY Memory Lab is a public digitization lab for patrons to create digital copies of their personal photographs, photo albums, and audio-visual material.
The lab is available for use by appointment only from Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
audiovisual
Supported Formats
- VHS cassettes
- Beta cassettes
- MiniDV / HDV cassettes
- audio cassette
- This is a Mac environment using an Apple computer.
A/V formats digitize in real time. If the tape has two hours of content, then it will take two hours to digitize that content. There is no way to speed up the process. Also, the condition of material to be digitized may limit the ability to digitize and the quality of the digitization. In some cases, audio, VHS, and Beta may need to be rehoused to get a good digital copy.
SCANNING STATION
Supported Formats
- Photographs and documents up to 11×14 inches
- Photographic film negatives and slides
- Mounted slides
- 35mm filmstrips
- Medium format film (120/220)
- 4×5 inch film
- Non-standard film sizes
- Photograph albums up to 11 x 14 inches can be scanned without having to be inverted or having to remove photographs with our SnapScan scanner
- 2-D artwork up to 11 x 14 inches
- This is a PC environment using a Windows computer.
now at cals branches
Mini Memory Labs
The DIY Mini Memory Labs are do-it-yourself stations for digitizing your personal photo collections and home movies located in select CALS branches. Currently, the Mini Memory Labs are available at Fletcher Library and McMath Library.
Each station comes with written instructions and video tutorials. For questions concerning the Mini Memory Labs, please email memorylab@cals.org.
DIY Mini Memory Lab Policy
You must sign in at the branch to use the Mini Memory Lab. By signing in, you agree to the following:
- The Mini Memory Labs are a Do-It-Yourself service, and I understand that library staff will not digitize or scan my items for me.
- The Central Arkansas Library System is not responsible for any items left or damaged at the Mini Memory Labs.
- I understand that to save my files, I must bring a storage device (external hard drive or flash drive) or log in to a cloud storage account (Google Drive, iCloud, etc.).
- Digitizing copyrighted material is prohibited.
A/V formats digitize in real time. If the tape has two hours of content, then it will take two hours to digitize that content. There is no way to speed up the process. Also, the condition of material to be digitized may limit the ability to digitize and the quality of the digitization.
Supported Formats
- Canon Flatbed Scanner: Photographs/Documents up to 8.5 x 11.7 inches
- VEHO Slides & Film Scanner
- Mounted slides
- 135/110/126 filmstrips
- Wolverine Video Converter: VHS Tapes
monthly virtual program
Personal Archiving
Let the DIY Memory Lab staff help you learn skills organize and preserve your personal archive! We host a virtual program via Zoom each month to help you get started.
For historians the personal papers of everyday people are the great discoveries of the work we do. It can be argued that personal archives – personal papers of everyday people – are more important and more significant to the study of human history than the papers of the great, the famous or the infamous. Plus there are more of us – everyday people – than there are of them (great/famous/infamous) and the details of our lives are going to tell a more accurate story of how we lived. The papers, photographs, and letters you have stored in your basements, attics, and closets can show us how things used to be done and how things in our world have changed.
Join us every 4th Thursday
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM via Zoom
resources
Personal Archiving
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Personal Archiving Supply List
We have a basic list of supplies we encourage folks to invest in to begin their personal archiving journey.
Documents Storage
- Hollinger Box (legal size)
- File Folders (legal size / archival / acid-free)
- Photo Storage Boxes (archival / acid-free)
- Flap envelopes or microfilm sleeves (archival / acid-free)
- Mylar Sleeves (passed the PAT or Photo Activity Test)
Digital Storage
- Cloud storage account (ex. iCloud, Google, Dropbox, etc.)
- External Hard Drive
All supplies listed above should be purchased from an archival supply vendor
and not an office supply store. We have a few recommended vendors below. -
Archival Vendors
There are many archival vendors to choose from. These are ones trusted by the CALS Roberts Library staff to provide quality archival products for your personal archiving journey.
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External Hard Drive How Tos (Mac / PC)
You may need to partition or reformat your hard drive for compatibility and interoperability with Mac and PC environments. The videos below can walk you through the steps to prepare your hard drive for your visit to the DIY Memory Lab.
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Audiovisual Resources
Audiovisual material has unique preservation requirements. Learn more about identification and preservation of these materials from these linked resources.
About the Lab
The CALS DIY Memory Lab Project was established as part of the DC Public Library Memory Lab Network and funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services with continued funding from the Mellon Foundation.
Working for a library and want to start your own DIY Memory Lab? CALS Memory Lab staff are happy to talk with anyone looking to create a DIY Memory Lab at their library or other organization.