Richmond Public Library’s Memory Lab opened in May 2024, and since that time over 200 people representing a wide variety of organizations, families, and places in Richmond have used the Memory Lab to preserve and share all kinds of history. People brought in home videos, personal documents, church histories, genealogical information, audio recordings, organizational histories, rare publications, government documents, slides, letters, film, business records, and thrift store mysteries!
Digitization is useful not only for keeping your materials organized and safe, but it also creates a lasting version that can be shared with long-distance loved ones or future generations. Whether it is a box of Kodachrome slides, home movies on VHS, or an oral history on audio cassette, we have the tools to help you preserve and share your personal or family history with whoever you choose.
Book some time in the lab by clicking here!
Here are some highlights:
Theodore Holmes Collection
A collection of photographs and slides taken by photographer Theodore Holmes of various demolition and construction projects in downtown Richmond. Many of the photographs and slides are from the early 2000s, notably including the demolition of 6th Street Marketplace and the moving of Tucker Cottage.
Tucker Cottage on a flat-bed truck getting moved to Chamberlayne Parkway in 2004. Workers are helping with the move on foot. From the Theodore Holmes Collection, Richmond Public Library.
Modern Jazz Richmond Scrapbook
A collection of materials chronicling the jazz scene in 1950s Richmond and the activities of Modern Jazz – Richmond, Inc. Some items were compiled into a scrapbook consisting of newspaper clippings, photographs, and ephemera and recount the history of MJR.
The Memory Lab provides resources for personal archiving and digitization of photos, home movies, and other forms of media. It is a do-it-yourself (DIY) model, meaning we provide step-by-step instructions and guidance, but you control the process from start to finish.
