A community resource for all

In July, University Libraries Wildcats Memory Lab was awarded a 2025 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant for $71,370 from Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The lab is a free do-it-yourself digitization and preservation resource for campus and community members. It officially opened on March 24, 2024, funded by an initial LSTA grant for $43,240.

"The lab is getting a lot of usage from the community," said Associate Librarian and Digital Preservation Unit Lead Stacey Jones, who is also principal project investigator. "Some days we get just a few reservations, and other days, we have gotten several dozen. In total, we've had almost 1,000 reservations since we opened at the end of March."

"People use the lab for a variety of reasons. Some U of A faculty use the lab for personal purposes, such as converting old materials created in their teaching program in the 1990s. We’ve also talked to others who are connected with U of A Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, U of A Marching Band, the Latin American History department, and the Gem and Mineral Museum," Jones said. The lab has been also used by small local organizations such as the Oro Valley Historical Society, and Pima County Genealogical Society.

Most of the 2025 LSTA grant will be used to fund a part-time, one-year outreach staff position. This person will help with patron training and outreach efforts to the campus and local community. "We are talking to multiple history professors about ways to integrate the lab into their courses for the coming year, and the outreach person will certainly assist with that, too," Jones said. Remaining grant money will go toward supplies for the lab.

How to use the lab

Don't know where to start? Before visiting the lab, be sure to review our how-to page, which includes an orientation video, step-by-step tutorials, and FAQs. Printed instruction sheets for the equipment are also provided inside the lab.

Related: 

Digitize your old home movies, photos at the Wildcats Memory Lab (March 19, 2025)

University Libraries digitization lab project gets $43K grant to preserve memories, archival materials (July 1, 2024)