His pitch for the idea inspired the group to donate $10,000 for equipment and other expenditures, he said.<\/p>\n
After celebrating its third anniversary in September, the George Hawkes\u2019 Retro Technology Lab has helped over 1,000 patrons transfer lost memories from physical media to digital bits.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been so much joy,\u201d Dellenbaugh said.<\/p>\n
![\"(John](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/RetroTech-Lab-9-.jpg\")
Robert Fleitz, president of the Arlington Genealogical Society, left, and librarian Mark Dellenbaugh stand next to each Oct. 2, 2025, in the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library. (John Forbes | Arlington Report)<\/p>\n
Library volunteers help patrons use adapter cables to connect outdated devices to an application that reads the old language, Dellenbaugh said. Patrons are then independently able to watch and transfer old video and audio onto USB drives in real time.<\/p>\n
Patrons can also scan and save printed photographs as JPG files.<\/p>\n
If you go:<\/p>\n
What:<\/strong> George W. Hawkes Downtown Library<\/p>\n When:<\/strong> Click here<\/a> to make an appointment during business hours.<\/p>\n Where: <\/strong>100 S. Center St., Arlington<\/a><\/p>\n What to bring: <\/strong>Library volunteers recommend bringing a USB thumb drive with at least 132 gigabytes of storage<\/p>\n What the lab can digitize:<\/p>\n The Retro Technology Lab is free, but patrons must have an Arlington Public Library card. You can get one here<\/a>. For more information, call 817-459-6900.<\/p>\n Stephanie Girolamo, a teacher at Bowie High School, came with her two children to recover a series of short films made on a camcorder during her 2001 study abroad trip in Italy. The videos reminded Girolamo of a more carefree time in her life.<\/p>\n \u201cI just can\u2019t stop smiling because I haven\u2019t been able to watch this since I made it,\u201d she said while watching the short films she directed with her acting friends.<\/p>\n DeeAnn Evans, a dance teacher in Arlington and mother of two young children, arrived with a tote bag of VHS tapes.<\/p>\n Evans discovered the tapes contained footage her parents took of her dance performances and plays along with home videos from 2001.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMy son sounds like me,\u201d she said of her 2-year-old son as she watched her 10-year-old self ride a bike with her best friend.<\/p>\n Many patrons also come to preserve the memories of loved ones who recently died, Dellenbaugh said.\u00a0<\/p>\n He recalled a man who digitized a recording of his late uncle singing gospel hymns to play at his grandmother\u2019s funeral \u2014 the recorded hymns were her favorites, the man said.<\/p>\n In the future, Dellenbaugh hopes to develop a mobile kit for people who are unable to come to the library.\u00a0<\/p>\n He also sees the possibility of partnering with local organizations to digitize their items and build a potential Arlington Digital Community Archive.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is what it\u2019s really about \u2014 it\u2019s the impact on people\u2019s lives,\u201d Dellenbaugh said. \u201cIt\u2019s giving people the tools to recover their own family memories.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n John Forbes is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at john.forbes@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the Arlington Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n\n
![\"(John](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/RetroTech-Lab-4-.jpg\")
Arlington resident DeeAnn Evans rewatches her 2001 performance in \u201cPeter Pan\u201d on Oct. 5, 2025, in the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library\u2019s Retro Technology Lab. (John Forbes | Arlington Report)<\/p>\n
![\"Creative](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1758084579_646_cc-by-nd-4.0.png\"\/)
<\/a><\/p>\n