Memory Lab

The Memory Lab is a do-it-yourself space for digitizing and preserving family documents, photographs, films and audio recordings. You can also use the lab to transfer born-digital files from older obsolete formats like floppy disks and CDs or DVDs. The digital files you capture or transfer from older media formats can be then be stored in the cloud or a newer storage device of your choice and shared with family and friends.

What to Know Before You Get Started

• The Memory Lab is located at the Sarasota County History Center within the Osprey Library at 337 N Tamiami Trail in Osprey. 
  
  
• The lab is available by appointment only except during special events. Please use the form below to request the lab for your next digitization project. A staff member will contact you to discuss available timeslots for your appointment and then send a confirmation email.
  
  
• On your first visit, you will receive training to use the equipment you need for your project. Staff can provide training for one type of media (audio, 8mm film, video tapes, data transfer, scanning) per visit.  
  
  
• The Memory Lab is open to any adult 18 years or older, or any youth patron accompanied by an adult 18 years or older.
  
  
• Patrons are responsible for providing their own external hard drive, thumb drive, cloud storage solution or other method for storing digitized files. Staff are not able to diagnose problems with storage media or create new cloud storage accounts.
  
  
• All Memory Lab users must complete and sign the Memory Lab Terms of Use Agreement Form prior to using the equipment.

Tips and Tricks for a Smoother Memory Lab Experience

• Digitization can take longer than you think! A single 35mm slide can require as much as 1-2 minutes to scan. Audio cassettes and video tapes must be digitized in real time, meaning if your original tape contains one hour of content, it will take slightly over one hour to digitize. 8mm film scans frame by frame, so 30 minutes of that media can take up to 45 minutes to scan. If you have a large amount of material to digitize, consider scheduling two Memory Lab appointments back to back, or scheduling appointments in successive weeks to make sure you have plenty of time.
  
  
• Transferring your newly digitized files to a thumb drive, external hard drive or the cloud can also take a long time. When planning your digitization project, plan to spend at least 20 minutes or so at the end of your appointment transferring your files.
  
  
• The Memory Lab equipment is capable of digitizing content at a wide range of quality levels. The level of quality you choose has a significant effect on file size, the time required to do the digitization, and the ease with which your digital files can be transferred and shared. Take this into consideration when planning your project, and ask staff about your options during training.

Here is the equipment available in the Memory Lab and the formats it can digitize:

Please contact the History Center by email at historycenter@scgov.net or by phone at (941)-861-6090 if you have any questions.