RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A grant awarded to the Richmond Public Library will expand what it calls a memory lab.
The memory lab allows people to digitize their outdated media, like old family photos and home movies, at no charge. The library’s main branch, located on the 100 block of East Franklin Street, received a $900,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to expand and modernize it.
Ben Himmelfarb, the library’s community services manager, said the grant will improve the library’s ability help people preserve their old memories.
“What we didn’t have was a dedicated space, a 21st century space, and we didn’t have a space that was connected to all of the other historical materials that we have at the library,” he said.
There’s been a growing interest in digitization since the pandemic closed down libraries, according to Himmelfarb. And though most people will use the memory lab to preserve family and personal history, patrons can also help officials fill in the gaps about Richmond’s history.
“I get questions every day from folks looking for information that I know is out there somewhere,” said Chloe McCormick, a senior special collections librarian. “I know it’s in someone’s attic or basement, but we just don’t have access to it yet,” she said.
If you’ve got negatives of old photos, 8 millimeter film or VHS tapes, you can sign up for an appointment, watch training videos and digitize them for free.
“We want to help people not only preserve it for their own purpose, but preserve it and share it with as many people as possible, so that we have a full true account of the history of Richmond,” he said.
The equipment will be in a much bigger space in the library and the expansion will happen over the next five years.
