Old home movies and family photo albums can sit in a closet for years, right up until the day the equipment needed to play or preserve them is hard to find.

The Nashville Public Library system has introduced the “Memory Lab,” a space where people can digitize VHS tapes, Beta Max, slides, audio film, photos and negatives that might otherwise be lost as older media becomes harder to access, preserve or keep around.

In a statement, the library said, “Memory Lab is more than just technology, it’s a creative space where anyone can reconnect with their history and capture moments that otherwise might have been lost forever.”

Anyone can book an appointment to digitize physical media in the lab. The space is equipped with a VHS-to-digital converter and a state-of-the-art, multifunctional scanner.

Reservations are free and run from 15 minutes to 4 hours at the Donelson Branch Library at 2714 Old Lebanon Pike in Nashville. The library said people who make a reservation will receive a confirmation email with instructions.

The library said commercial digitization services might charge $30 per tape and $1 per image, costs that can quickly rise for people trying to preserve a full photo album or a collection of home movies.

Nashville Public Library said the Memory Lab is part of a growing national trend at public libraries, including in DC, Los Angeles and Brooklyn, that are working to bridge the digital divide.

It also places Nashville among a small number of libraries in Tennessee offering free media digitization, including libraries in Rutherford and Williamson counties.

In a statement, the library said, “We are pleased about the launch of Memory Lab, but the most rewarding part is yet to come, all of the stories, memories, and history that will be given new life and preserved for the next generation.”