Windsor Library Adds Photo/Video Conversion Service

July 6, 2023

Library Opens Space for DIY Digitization

Sonoma County community members are invited to the grand opening of Playback Memory Lab, a Do-It-Yourself digitization space at the History & Genealogy Library in downtown Santa Rosa. The event takes place on Saturday, July 15, from 1 to 4 p.m. at 725 Third Street in Santa Rosa.

The lab provides users with tools to preserve their personal, family, and community histories. At the grand opening, visitors can tour the lab, practice digitizing a personal item such as a photo, slide or negative and learn how to book an appointment to embark on their archiving projects. The event and activities are free.

“Memory Labs provide the tools and understanding for people to work at their own pace to digitize, preserve and share what is important to them. Some media formats are at risk of degrading while others are as good as lost without a playback machine,” said Playback Program Coordinator Joanna Kolosov. “Offering DIY digitization bolsters our community’s resiliency–if you’re willing to invest the time, you now have a free way to save what you treasure from being lost to neglect, fire or floods.”

Beginning July 20, the lab will be available by reservation on Thursdays and Saturdays, from 1 to 4 p.m., for anyone to digitize documents, photographs, negatives, slides and VHS tapes.

Learn more about the lab and how to become a Playback user at sonomalibrary.org/playback.

“It was exciting to learn about the possibilities, to see slides scanned and to scan my own scrapbook photo page,” said a recent lab visitor. “Wonderous. Reminded me of when I was younger and all these older technologies were the norm.”

With the Playback Memory Lab, Sonoma County joins a nationwide network of public libraries offering free DIY digitization.
The lab is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by State Librarian Greg Lucas. This program is also supported by Friends of the Santa Rosa Libraries.

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For media inquiries, please contact Sonoma County Library Communications Manager Ray Holley at rholley@sonomalibrary.org or 707-755-2014.  Press Advisory: Open House on Saturday, July 15, from 1 to 4 p.m. at 725 Third Street in Santa Rosa.