Central Arkansas Library System receives 500K grant for Memory Lab
On Wednesday morning, the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) announced that they received a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation’s Public Knowledge program. (Photo KATV)
Little Rock (KATV) — On Wednesday morning, the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) announced that they received a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation’s Public Knowledge program.
This grant is one of the largest in CALS's history.
It will be used to build capacity for the library's Memory Lab, which will give patrons the ability to digitize their family memories, including photographs, personal VHS/Beta video cassettes, and audio cassettes.
The Memory Lab was established in May 2022 at CALS’s Roberts Library of Arkansas History & Art.
With the grant, CALS will now have funding to hire a full-time Memory Lab Coordinator, add Saturday hours for the Lab, expand the formats of media that can be digitized, create micro memory labs at 9 other CALS branches, and extend outreach into communities so they have the resources to digitize their own archives.
The grant is also set to fund the Encyclopedia of Arkansas staff historian's salary and website upgrades for digital collections from the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies.
“I’m thrilled about this grant, which will allow us to expand our Memory Lab services and help more people organize and digitize their family photos, documents, and home movies,” said Heather Zbinden, Programs & Website Coordinator for the Roberts Library. “Making personal archiving resources more accessible is an important part of preserving family history and Arkansas history.”
The Jacksonville Public Library (Florida), King County Library System (Washington), and San Diego Public Library also received grants from the Mellon Foundation.
“I am excited about the opportunity to bring memory labs to our branches both within Little Rock and in our two-county service area,” said CALS Regional Manager Joe Hudak. “Local and family history is important, especially for people who are not always included in traditional histories. Putting memory labs in place at branches is an exciting next step in reaching our patrons where they are, promoting and preserving Arkansas history, and providing services that reach more people in our community.”