The Mellon Foundation, San Diego Public Library’s Digital Memory Lab funder, highlighted the important work of our digital “memory labs,” which help people and communities preserve their histories.
A highlight of Catherine Hoang’s job at the San Diego Public Library (SDPL) is watching her patrons’ excitement as they digitize their old photos, home movies, slides, and other analog materials. It’s also seeing their sense of accomplishment as they master the technology to bring these memories back to life, be it their children’s first steps, summer holidays, or a wedding video.
“I really love seeing the look on their face when they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, that was me, Christmas of 1936, and that’s my brother, and he’s passed away.’ They want to share their whole life, and it just opens people up,” says Catherine.
As part of her job, Hoang supports the library’s digital “memory labs,” one of many popping up in public library systems across the country to help people and communities preserve their histories. These personal archiving centers let patrons digitize their obsolete and analog media formats, and sometimes also create and share new content such as through recording oral histories. Mellon Foundation is supporting over 20 library systems in this work, with grant activities that include building and expanding memory lab locations, strengthening partnerships, and programming to connect underrepresented groups with memory lab resources.
SDPL is the largest cultural institution in the city, with low-to-moderate-income families making up almost 80 percent of its patrons. With Mellon support, SDPL will upgrade its two existing digital memory labs as well as create three new permanent labs and five pop-up mobile ones to circulate among the library’s branches. It hopes to benefit San Diegans more equitably with these expanded services in its 36 locations.
“The primary goal is to extend the reach to more communities to bridge the digital divide, and to give access to different communities of concern. Libraries are the collectors and preservers of most of the city’s knowledge.”
They’re also looking to showcase the mix of people living in San Diego, which has a cultural heritage influenced by being a border city, its Native American communities, and the military. Through the I AM SAN DIEGO initiative, in 2024 the library will encourage patrons to tell their stories using video recording kiosks at SDPL’s branches.
