Our mission is to provide our communities the ability to preserve their documents, photos, and audiovisuals through digitization. The OC Memory Lab is a space for free, do-it-yourself digitization that allows users to safeguard their important documents and memories. The Lab is located at the Tustin Library.
The OC Memory Lab is designated for users ages 13 and older. Children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at all times.
This OC Memory Lab project was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
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Public access to the labs requires registration
Bring your keepsakes along with your own storage device (a USB or external hard drive) to store your digitized projects
It's a do-it-yourself model, meaning we provide step-by-step instructions, and you control the process from start to finish
Must have an active library card
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Supported formats:
VHS
8 mm reel to reel film (3-inch & 5-inch reels only)
Super 8 reel to reel film (3-inch & 5-inch reels only)
Audio cassette
DV & Mini DV
Photos / Slides / Negatives
Documents / Letters / Diaries
S-VHS, VHS-C, and 3.5” floppy disk
Unsupported Formats
8-track or 4-track
8 mm video tape
16 mm film
35 mm film
Betacam
Betamax
Blu-ray
Digital8
DVD
Hi8
Laserdisc
Microcassette
U-matic S
User provides external storage device (i.e. hard drive or USB flash drive).
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Daily organization
Organizing your personal digital collection will help you locate, reference and re-use what you create.
Security
Losing track of your assets and online accounts is a threat to your online identity and personal security. This means that sometimes even deleting is a valuable archiving strategy.
Legacy
What you produce purposefully (home movie or photograph) and in daily life (calendar appointment or email
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Library Card – Click here if you do not have a library card or are unsure if you have one.
Complete Registration & Waiver Form - Print, sign, and submit to library staff or pick up a copy at the library. Click herefor the waiver.
Book a session: Reservations are three (3) hour sessions and are booked online and verified by Tustin Library staff after you submit the waiver. Requests are limited to two (2) sessions within a 7-day period and one (1) session per day.
Bring your items: Bring your items to be digitized along with an external storage drive to save your digitized project. Media items will be checked by staff to ensure proper use of equipment
Bring a Storage Device: The amount of memory you need will depend on how much you will digitize. Tip: 1 hour of video = 9 GB | 1 hour of audio = 620 MB | 1 5x7 photograph = >7MB as a JPEG vs. 40MB as a TIF
OC Storiesis our local history webpage. If you would like to upload and share your own OC story to this local history webpage, please acknowledge and sign the OCstories agreement below. Staff will show you where you can save your media for review and upload.
Convert VHS, analog recordings, and audiocassette tapes into digital format
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Have your library card ready
Sign and agree to the OC Memory Lab waiver
Watch the instruction videos
Make a reservation
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The OC Memory Lab is a do-it-yourself service. You can prepare by watching the instructional videos and by reading the How-To guides. Review the instructional materials carefully to understand your digitization process.
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Anything that has been copyrighted is prohibited
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Yes, reservations are required. Reservations are available after you have watched the instruction videos.
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The OC Memory Lab does not have this equipment available to borrow. There are various retail stores that sell USB and external drives
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Please bring a USB thumb drive. If you have a large project or want to save multiple projects, you can also bring an external hard drive. The amount of memory you need will depend on how much you would like to digitize:
1 hour of video = 9 GB
1 hour of audio = 620 MB
1 5x7 photograph = 7MB as a JPEG or 40MB as a TIF
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Currently, sessions are for three hours. Sessions are limited to one (1) per day and two (2) per week.
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Yes, you must have an OCPL library card in good standing. Apply for a free library card here
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Monday - Thursday: 11:00AM - 2:00PM and 3:00PM - 6:00PM
Friday - Saturday: 9:00AM – 12:00PM and 1:00PM – 4:00PM
Closed on Sundays and holidays
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Please take your items along with your external hard drive
