MACON, Ga. — The Washington Memorial Library is getting ready to take a walk down memory lane, but first they need your help.
The library's Memory Lab will be dedicated towards digitally converting and storing memories and pieces of history on audio-cassette or VHS tape.
While the lab will receive equipment to digitize videos and images through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the library also needs equipment to read old media.
"The older, the better," says Washington Memorial head of reference, Micah Newsome. "We're looking for anything that plays that old media that is increasingly hard to find."
The library is asking people to donate mini-disk players, audiovisual racks, A-D converters, and more.
With the Memory Lab, Washington Memorial plans to unlock pieces of Macon's history that were otherwise trapped in outdated forms of media.
"The window is closing to preserve that," says Newsome. "We really want to make sure that we preserve that part of history both for the community at large as a part of our archives and for individuals. We want everybody to have access to that history and to those memories."
The library already plans to convert performances from the Macon Symphony Orchestra on donated VHS tapes.
Once the lab is officially up and running, Central Georgians can stop by to digitally convert their own home videos and memories for free.
For more information on equipment the library is looking for, check out their website.
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