Middle Georgia Regional Library opens new ‘Memory Lab’

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — The Middle Georgia Regional Library’s new memory lab now allows you to collect your past to preserve your future.

Cassandra Jackson-White is the first person to use the lab at Washington Memorial Library when it opened Thursday morning. She digitized a box filled with old family photos. 

Jackson-White says the project is a gift for her father, who turns 100-years-old this year.

“We sorted everything last night, I think I was a little bit too ambitious,” Jackson-White said. “But at least this is a great service that is available for everyone to preserve their family history.”

Muriel McDowell Jackson is responsible for creating the Memory Lab. She’s the head of the Middle Georgia archives, and the Genealogical and Historical Room at the library. 

McDowell Jackson says there were places locally similar to the lab, but you had to pay to use the resources. She says having this free service available makes a difference.

“I’m all about preservation and eventually people may discover things they have they didn’t know and they might be willing to donate a copy to the archives as well to help preserve it,” McDowell Jackson said.

Cassandra says she’s grateful the lab is free because she looked into digitizing photos elsewhere and noticed how costly it is. She says the process of digitizing the old photos is bittersweet, and now her children will see them too.

“It puts you right back at that moment, you know the ones with my family, what we were doing, what we were thinking, some of the experiences,” says Jackson-White.

McDowell Jackson says it will be up to the community to keep the lab going with equipment donations. She says the lab can convert video, negatives, slides, and photographs right now. Eventually, they will convert to other systems if they get the necessary equipment.

“If you may not be in Macon-Bibb but you’re part of our region it’s here to be used by the citizens of Macon and Middle Georgia and the Middle Georgia Regional Library System,” McDowell Jackson said.

Information about the Memory Lab

• The lab is funded through a grant from the Institute of Museums and Libraries
• You can book a three-hour time slot on the library website
  • Or you can call 478-744-0825