Nicole/Jill--

The Dearborn Public Library has had a Digitization Lab since 2018. I am the staff member that coordinated setting up our D-Lab and choosing equipment to order, software to use, etc. While originally envisioned as a self-service lab with a technician available to show the patrons how to use our equipment for their digitization projects, over time it has become a drop off service. This happened shortly before/after COVID, as our main library (Henry Ford Centennial Library) was also undergoing a major HVAC renovation from May 2019 - August 2020. After reopening to the public in late 2020 or mid 2021, it became fully drop off. When we did have people coming in and working on their projects themselves, it was mostly using our flatbed Canon scanner to scan slides, photos, negatives after showing them how to use the software to change settings, scan multiple images, etc. Once they get a workflow going, if the patron is fairly tech savvy, it's easy enough for them to do a significant amount in a 1-3 hour session.

Regarding conversion of video and audio formats, since the playback has to be done in real time, it's not conducive to have patrons waiting around 2 to 4 or 6 hours for a VHS tape to be recorded (depending on whether it was recorded in SP, LP, or SLP), or an hour or two for a camcorder tape to be recorded. That's why we (relatively) quickly went to a drop off only format. Our technician has 4 computers in the lab (1 iMac, 1 more powerful tower desktop Windows PC, and a couple regular staff/public desktop PCs), and he's usually running all 4 concurrently so that he can covert multiple tapes, audiocassettes, vinyl records, etc. We have several VHS/DVD combo units attached to these computers, using an ElGato capture device to connect to the VCRs via composite (Yellow, White, Red) cables. The ElGato capture software is simple and easy to use. Once the recording is completed, there is a slider bar that lets you adjust the end of the recording so that the file stops near where the actual video recording stopped. This file can then either be copied to a patrons USB flash drive or external hard drive, or for those who prefer, burnt to DVD-R so that patrons can play it back in their DVD players. We use Roxio (Windows) and Toast (Mac) for disc burning.

For audio recording, we use Audacity (Windows & Mac, open source) to record, and have a dual cassette deck and a vinyl turntable that both have L/R RCA outputs. Using a RCA to 1/8" headphone cable, these are plugged into the Line In on the PC. After recording a side of the tape/record, the technician pauses Audacity, flips the tape/record, and unpauses and continues recording. After recording is done, he uses a feature in Audacity to mark the beginning of each track so that it can be split in multiple tracks for the folder that album will be copied to.

After an initial consultation with the new patron, our technician will usually have them drop off 5-10 VHS/camcorder tapes or cassettes or vinyl records for conversion, then email them in a week or two when the job is complete so they can pick up their original materials and the converted project files/discs. At that point, they can drop off their next small batch. He usually has a small-medium handful of patrons' batches/jobs that he's working on at any given time.

If you need any more detailed information, feel free to contact me and I'll attempt to answer your questions. Here's the page on our library's website giving some details about our D-Lab:

City of Dearborn
Dennis Jameson
Library System Administrator
Automation
Henry Ford Centennial Library
313-943-2846
djameson@dearborn.gov

From: Jill Rauh via Michlib-l <michlib-l@liblists.org>
Date: Fri, Dec 19, 2025, 2:38 PM
Subject: [Michlib-l] Re: Digital Conversion Center/Memory Lab
To: michlib-l@liblists.org <michlib-l@liblists.org>, Nicole Johnson <njohnson@ishpeminglibrary.info>