Librarian Mark Dellenbaugh read the faded ink written on the label of an old and unwatchable videotape: “Newborn Kyle” and “Ryan learning to ride tricycle.”
For over two decades, the camcorder memories of two of his children sat in storage, trapped in outdated formats. Without the equipment needed to play the tapes, Dellenbaugh’s irreplaceable recordings were stranded in an inaccessible past.
When the Arlington Genealogical Society asked Dellenbaugh how — if he had the money — he would innovate the library’s local history and genealogy services he oversees, he remembered his outdated tapes. Inspired by similar services and the Dallas Public Library’s Heritage Lab, Dellenbaugh knew exactly what he would do.
His pitch for the idea inspired the group to donate $10,000 for equipment and other expenditures, he said.
After celebrating its third anniversary in September, the George Hawkes’ Retro Technology Lab has helped over 1,000 patrons transfer lost memories from physical media to digital bits.
“There’s been so much joy,” Dellenbaugh said.
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)
Library volunteers help patrons use adapter cables to connect outdated devices to an application that reads the old language, Dellenbaugh said.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.
Patrons can also scan and save printed photographs as JPG files.
If you go:
What: George W. Hawkes Downtown Library
When: Click here to make an appointment during business hours.
Where: 100 S. Center St., Arlington
What to bring: Library volunteers recommend bringing a USB thumb drive with at least 132 gigabytes of storage
What the lab can digitize:
8 mm and Super 8 film
Floppy disks
Audio and micro cassettes
VHS, Hi8, 8 mm, VHS-C and MiniDV tapes
Photo prints, slides and negative photos
The Retro Technology Lab is free, but patrons must have an Arlington Public Library card. You can get one here. For more information, call 817-459-6900.
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.
“I just can’t stop smiling because I haven’t been able to watch this since I made it,” she said while watching the short films she directed with her acting friends.
DeeAnn Evans, a dance teacher in Arlington and mother of two young children, arrived with a tote bag of VHS tapes.
Evans discovered the tapes contained footage her parents took of her dance performances and plays along with home videos from 2001.
“My son sounds like me,” she said of her 2-year-old son as she watched her 10-year-old self ride a bike with her best friend.
Arlington resident DeeAnn Evans rewatches her 2001 performance in “Peter Pan” on Oct. 5, 2025, in the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library’s Retro Technology Lab. (John Forbes | Arlington Report)
Many patrons also come to preserve the memories of loved ones who recently died, Dellenbaugh said.
He recalled a man who digitized a recording of his late uncle singing gospel hymns to play at his grandmother’s funeral — the recorded hymns were her favorites, the man said.
In the future, Dellenbaugh hopes to develop a mobile kit for people who are unable to come to the library.
He also sees the possibility of partnering with local organizations to digitize their items and build a potential Arlington Digital Community Archive.
“This is what it’s really about — it’s the impact on people’s lives,” Dellenbaugh said. “It’s giving people the tools to recover their own family memories.”
John Forbes is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at john.forbes@fortworthreport.org.
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