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Brackett Preservation Lab: Preserve Your Memories at the BPL

The Brackett Preservation Lab is a DIY, self-service space for the IRSC community to digitize their analog and print memorabilia.

Brackett Preservation Lab

Reserve Time in the Brackett Preservation Lab

Reservation requests must be made 1 business day in advance. After mediation, you will receive an email notification of approval or denial. Mediation will occur during the next business day if a booking request is submitted outside of working hours or during closures.

Appointments are for a minimum of two hours and a maximum of four hours. Appointments may be made on the half-hour starting at 9:00 a.m. on available Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays and 12:00 p.m. on available Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The latest appointment start time is 2:30 p.m. on available Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays and 3:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

If you cannot make it to your scheduled appointment, please call 772-400-6385 or email Angie at asardon@irsc.edu so that the time slot can be given to someone else.

What is required to use the BPL?

To use the Brackett Preservation Lab, library users must be IRSC students or employees aged 16 or older or Indian River County Library System cardholders in good standing aged 18 or older, and:

  1. Make an appointment,
  2. Provide their own USB flash drive or external hard drive to save their digital files,
  3. Read and sign the Brackett Preservation Lab User Waiver and Release Form, and
  4. Read and agree to the Terms of Use.

How to Get Ready for Your BPL Appointment

1. Gather the memories you want to digitize. The media formats currently supported are VHS tapes, DVDs, negatives, slides, photographs, documents up to size A3, and books.

2. Buy a USB flash drive or external hard drive to take your digitized memories home.

3. Plan your digitization projects. Do you want to digitize all VHS tapes first? All memories of a specific person across a variety of formats? Remember that each visit is for a maximum of four hours, and VHS transfer is in real-time.

4. Box up your memories. Clean off the dust and ensure no insects are in your materials or containers. Group your photos by size.

5. Schedule your appointment and review the digitization instructions for the equipment you plan to use during your appointment online at https://irsc.libguides.com/bpl. Read the Brackett Preservation Lab User Waiver and Release Form and the Terms of Use. You will receive paper copies to sign at the start of your appointment.

6. Come to the Brackett Library on IRSC's Mueller Campus at 6155 College Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32966 for your scheduled appointment. The Brackett Preservation Lab is inside the Link Lab in Room L207 on the second floor.

About the BPL

The Brackett Preservation Lab (BPL) is a self-service space providing equipment and software for library users to digitize their analog and print memorabilia. The lab provides equipment for digitizing VHS and DVD home movies and scanning photographs, negatives, slides, yearbooks, scrapbooks, and more. It is available as a self-guided model, meaning we provide step-by-step instructions, but you control the process from start to finish.

The BPL is located inside the Link Lab, Room L207 on the second floor of the Brackett Library on Indian River State College's Mueller Campus at 6155 College Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32966. The Brackett Library is a joint-use branch library administered by Indian River State College and the Indian River County Library System.

The Brackett Preservation Lab was made possible through the Patterson Endowed Teaching Chair in Humanities awarded to Brackett Library's faculty librarian, Angie Neely-Sardon, in August 2023. The project is funded through Summer 2026. For more information, email Angie at asardon@irsc.edu.

Policies and Forms

You will receive a printed copy of both documents to sign and date at your appointment. Feel free to read them over prior to your appointment to save time.

Print and Analog Formats Supported

As of February 23, 2024, the following source formats are supported:

  • VHS and VHS- C tapes
  • DVDs
  • Negatives
  • Slides
  • 3" x 5" photographs
  • 5" x 8" photographs
  • 8" x 10" photographs
  • Documents up to size A3
  • Cards
  • Postcards
  • Baby books
  • Family bibles
  • Photo albums
  • Scrapbooks
  • Yearbooks

More source formats will be supported as Year 2 and 3 funds become available.

BPL Current Equipment List

CZUR ET24 Pro Book Scanner

Epson FastFoto FF-680W

Epson Perfection V600 Photo Scanner

Fujitsu ScanSnap SV600 Overhead Book and Document Scanner

Elgato Video Capture – USB 2.0 Capture Card Device

Magnavox DV220MW9 DVD Player VCR Combo

VHS-C Cassette Adapter

Panasonic Headphones 3.5mm Jack

Kodak LED Light Box 7”x5”

BPL Grand Opening Slide Presentation - Overview of Equipment and Formats Supported