BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — The Reisterstown branch of the Baltimore County Public Library is helping people preserve their family history by offering a free digitization station for old film and media.
WATCH: Baltimore County library helps residents digitize old family film
On a recent trip back home to visit my folks, I found a treasure trove of old film negatives.
While researching how to best preserve them, I found the library has a solution.
Eric Rutledge, a librarian at the Reisterstown branch, is there to help with whatever mystery format you bring in the door.
"We show you how to do it with a step-by-step guide and then send you on your way," Rutledge said.
"You're never truly alone digitizing your stuff."
Turns out the film format I brought in was a new one for Rutledge, but we got the scanner set up to reveal whatever secrets developed.
I saw footage of my grandpa and made a quick call to my uncle, a retired pilot, to find out what he was up to.
"He was in an aeronautical club in college, and they flew out of the Akron municipal airport," my uncle said.
"The white sack is a sack of flour. They used to fly at a certain altitude over the airport and try and hit the target on the ground,” my uncle said.
It was something I never knew about my grandpa and just one of the views I got into my ancestors' lives thanks to this scanning technology.
I also got a precious view into everyday life when my father was first born, a memory that was nearly lost.
"We keep a box of tissues there because it is a lot of memories and they may get to see like their kids again when they were young," Rutledge said.
"But they may also see their parents they haven't seen in a while or other friends or family that have passed on. Of course as technology evolves, we undoubtedly lose track of what we can still watch in an easy way."
Emily Williamson, communications supervisor for the Baltimore County Public Library, said the library is well-suited to fix the problem of losing track of old media.
"Digital literacy is so important, especially in the 21st century," Williamson said.
"And so it's great to be able to teach people about this technology and then they can do it themselves."
Williamson said the public agrees with the value of the service.
"So far we have over 150 appointments every year," Williamson said.
"So it does really, really well."
"The station really brings a unique purpose 'cause now instead of just finding, 'Oh, this is the information you want,' now I'm helping them find their memories again,” Rutledge said.
You can call the Reisterstown branch or go to their website to sign up for a three-hour slot.
You will need your media and either a cloud or external drive to store the scan files.
