Library tech enables patrons to preserve history, explore robotics, and more
Carol Sanchez, a park ranger at Hard Labor Creek State Park in Rutledge, east of Atlanta, utilized a cassette digitizer at the Morgan County Library to preserve irreplaceable archival recordings documenting the stories of 1930s-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) members during their time working at the park.
The Corps was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 to provide jobs for young men during the Great Depression, while also establishing a nature conservation program in each state.
According to research, the men enrolled in CCC nationwide planted over 2 billion trees, spent 6 million workdays fighting forest fires, and constructed over 125,000 miles of roads and trails from 1933-1942.
The Corps is also recognized for transforming young men into confident and well-prepared individuals who later served the nation during World War II.
Hard Labor Creek State Park is one of 10 CCC-built state parks in Georgia, and park visitors can still see the remains of former CCC camps.
The park will celebrate its centennial in 2034.
“In preparation for this milestone, the Friends of Hard Labor Creek and park staff are focusing on the park’s founding and the Civilian Conservation Corps resources on site,” said Sanchez. “When I found the four cassette recordings labeled ‘CCC Interviews’ deep in a file drawer, I knew I had to find out what they contained.”
Looking for a way to digitize these recordings, Sanchez reached out to the Morgan County Library, a member library of the Azalea Regional Library System, about the possibility of borrowing equipment that could convert the cassette recordings to a digital format.
The library provided access to a Retro Kit loaned through Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS). The kit includes equipment to convert cassette tapes, vinyl records, VHS tapes, or photos to modern digital formats.
The Retro Kit is one of several loaner kits from GPLS that public library staff members can reserve to make technology available for public use at the library.
“The newly converted MP3s confirmed our suspicions about the nature of the cassettes. They were stories from ‘CCC Boys,’ now in their 80s, about their work, and were recorded around 1999,” said Sanchez. “The recordings shine a light on motivations for joining the program and daily duties, the price of moonshine in 1935, and a place called Possum Hollow, where some of the members spent free evenings.”
“These kits serve as a vital bridge, effectively reducing the digital divide and empowering library patrons to engage with essential technologies that they might otherwise lack access to due to cost.”
With the Retro Kit, Sanchez was able to preserve stories of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which will help make them available for future historical programming at Hard Labor Creek State Park.
Sanchez said that libraries and parks have similar goals, and that this is not the first time the park has partnered with Morgan County Library.
“Georgia State Parks and libraries work together to bring programming to the local community. Hard Labor Creek State Park has an ongoing partnership with the Morgan County Library for a Story Trail on our nature trails, which changes seasonally, and the park’s Interpretive Ranger is always excited to participate in summer reading programming,” said Sanchez. “And State Parks and Historic Sites ParkPasses and Historic Site Family Passes are available for checkout at all 408 Georgia public libraries.”
Sanchez said she is thankful that the library was able to provide access to the Retro Kit.
“The library staff there are excellent help and friendly faces, whether I am there in uniform or visiting with my family,” she said.
Libraries can borrow GPLS Technology Loaner Kits with tools ranging from 3D printers to telescopes to virtual reality headsets.
“Not only making technology available for everyone, these kits also are making a real difference in preserving memories and history, ” said Ivy Corder, marketing and outreach coordinator at Azalea Regional Library System. “Thanks to Georgia Public Library Service, we are able to help patrons like Carol bring their audio archives into the digital age.”
Myers Scott, technical program manager at GPLS, said one of the most rewarding aspects of overseeing the Technology Loaner Kit program is getting to witness the tangible benefits it brings to the individuals within Georgia communities.
“These kits serve as a vital bridge, effectively reducing the digital divide and empowering library patrons to engage with essential technologies that they might otherwise lack access to due to cost,” said Scott. “I truly believe these advanced technologies can significantly enhance educational experiences and promote deeper engagement within our community.”
Interested in Technology Loaner Kits? Ask your local library to request one from GPLS.
