Contact Info
1301 Barcarrota Blvd W
Bradenton, FL 34205
The Archive Lab is a digital DIY space located at Central Library, and is part of the Eaton Florida History Room. It is comprised of 4 stations where you can scan and save your personal photos, home videos, scrapbooks, slides, and more. The Archive Lab is a great place to visit if you are concerned about preserving family history for the future, protecting precious memories from natural disasters, or simply want to finally share old photos with friends and family on social media.
The Archive Lab is also open to local organizations, small businesses, and churches who want to digitize their photos, recordings, and records.
Staff are available to assist with using the equipment. Walk-ins are welcome but availability for some stations may be limited; patrons are highly encouraged to book a session in advance. Please note this is not a drop-off service.
Service Output: Digital Files
Hours Available:
Reserve a session 24/7 online
Archive Lab hours:
Monday - Tuesday: 11:00 am to 7:30 pmWednesday - Thursday: 11:00 am to 4:30 pm
Friday - Saturday: 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Eligibility: Ages 12 and up are welcome to use the Archive Lab. A signed user agreement is required before beginning to use equipment. Ages 12 to 17 who wish to use Archive Lab must have a user agreement signed by a parent or legal guardian.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you can only book and use one Archive Lab station at a time.
It is highly recommended to book the Archive Lab in advance. Walk-ins are welcome to learn about the space, however be advised that equipment may already be in use when you arrive.
Users may book 2 sessions per week, including back-to-back sessions if available. Please do not use different email addresses to book more than 2 sessions per week; bookings beyond 2 per week for one user (even with multiple email addresses used) will be mediated.
Yes, one staff member will be in the lab to offer technical assistance and equipment orientation. To be most successful in digitizing items, users should have a moderate comfort level with computers since they will be responsible for digitizing their own materials.
Please check in with staff when you arrive to the Archive Lab. If you have not used the Archive Lab before, you will be required to read and sign a User Agreement form.
It is best to book a session, even if only an hour is needed.
All audio and audiovisual materials convert in real time. For example, a 2-hour wedding video will take at least 2.5 hours to digitize, figuring in set up time, real-time conversion, and file transfer to storage device.
Multiple sessions will be required to digitize AV items over 2 hours in length or multiple AV items. Users should book back-to-back sessions for one item over 2 hours in length.
Users will need to wear headphones/earbuds with a headphone jack (not wireless) if you listen to playback so as not to disturb other users. If you are not able to wear headphones or earbuds, staff can assist with testing audio at intervals. For public health reasons, we are unable to loan headphones/earbuds.
A Manatee Library card is encouraged, but is not required, to use the Archive Lab. Register for a library card in order to enjoy all the benefits of Manatee Library!