Digitization Information

Do you have a printer for public use?

Yes. We have two color laser printers near the reference desk that you can print to from public computers in the Reference Area and Teen Room. You can also print to our printer from any computer, tablet or smartphone that is connected to the internet. Printing costs 10¢ per side for black & white printing and 40¢ per side for color.

If you want to use a credit card to pay for a printout made from a computer…

1. Open a browser and go to http://mhl.org/webprint.
2. Upload the document(s) you want to print and choose print options (black & white or color, # of copies, page range, single-sided or double-sided).
3. Jobs that exceed $10 (100 B&W or 25 color pages) will need to be split into multiple jobs before printing from the print kiosks.
4. Enter your library card number or choose a username to find your print job when you come to the library.
5. You can use either print release kiosk near the Reference Desk. Press the print button and scan your library card or enter the username you used when uploading the print job. Swipe your credit card and press Print All. Print jobs sent this way remain in the queue for 24 hours.

Do you have a color photocopier?

Yes, two color photocopiers are located on Level 1 in the Reference area. They are equipped with an automatic document feeder and can do double-sided copying. Copies cost 10¢ per side for black & white and 40¢ per side for color.

May I use my cell phone to receive and make calls while I am in the library?

We request that you set your cell phone and other electronic devices to silent or vibrate mode while in the library. If you need to make or answer a call on your cell phone, please keep your conversation short and speak softly. Long conversations should be conducted in either the front (Main Street) lobby, or the back (Parking Lot) lobby.

Does the library have a public fax machine?

Yes, the Scan Station in the Reference Area can be used to send faxes. We cannot receive faxes. Faxing up to 10 pages per day is free. Domestic faxing is $0.25 per page after the 10 free pages. International faxing is available for $1 per page with no free pages.

The magazine/newspaper I need is on microfiche/microfilm. Can I print the article I need?

You can print from both the microfilm and microfiche readers. Ask a reference librarian for assistance.

Can I get a document notarized at the Library?

The library has a notary public who is available to notarize documents. Please call 978-623-8434 to schedule a convenient time and to verify that your document meets the Massachusetts Notary Law requirements.

See here for more information.

Does the library have a document scanner available for public use?

Yes, we have two scanners attached to a Scan Station in the Reference Area that you are welcome to use on a first come, first served basis.

The Scan Station consists of a touchscreen PC with easy-to-use software that guides you through the process of scanning books, documents, photos and small objects to a variety of formats (PDF, searchable PDF, JPEG, TIFF, Word, HTML), which can then be emailed, saved to a USB flash drive, or uploaded to a cloud storage service. The Scan Station is connected to two scanners. One is a flatbed scanner, which has an 11″ x 17″ flatbed surface with a beveled edge. The other is a scanner with automatic document feeder, which is capable of scanning large documents, stacks of photographs, and ID cards. The Scan Station is also capable of text translation to and from many different languages and text to speech conversion.

This service was made possible by a donation from the Friends of Memorial Hall Library.

The library also has a film scanner that can be used to digitize 35 mm negatives and slides.

The library has a VHS Digitization Station that can be used to transfer home videos to DVD.

The Digitization Station is located in the Reference Area and is available on a first-come, first-served basis whenever the library is open. For more information, read the Frequently Asked Questions below or contact our Reference Desk (978-623-8430 | rdesk@mhl.org).

VHS Digitization Station FAQs

What is this?

The VHS Digitization Station allows you to convert VHS videocassettes to digital files and optionally transfer them to DVDs. The station consists of a VCR connected to a computer and honestech VHS to DVD 8.0 Deluxe.

How much does it cost to use?

It is free, but you will have to supply your own blank DVDs (DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW).

Can I digitize a VHS recording without burning it to a DVD?

Yes. You can convert the VHS recording to a video file that can be copied to a USB flash drive or uploaded to an online storage or video hosting service.

Can I convert other types of video tapes (Hi-8, VHS-C, 8mm, Digital 8, BetaMax, etc.)?

If you have videos stored on VHS-C cassettes (once popular with JVC and Panasonic camcorders), we have an adapter you can use that works with our VHS player. For other types of video tapes, if you can bring in a device capable of playing the tape (for example, the camcorder that shot the video), we can try to connect it to our digitization hardware and convert the video directly. If you have the A/V cable that came with your camcorder, bring it. If you don’t, we have a 3.5mm four-pole to 3x RCA composite & stereo audio cable you can use. It is compatible with most MiniDV and Digital8 camcorders made by Sony, Canon, JVC, Samsung, Panasonic and Sharp. It also works with many Hi8 camcorders.

Is it safe? What if the VCR eats my tape?

So far we haven’t had a problem but if you are concerned that your VHS tape might get damaged, you should consider taking your tape to a professional service that offers a safety guaranty.

How long does it take to digitize a video recording?

Conversion takes place in real time, so an hour-long video recording will take at least one hour to convert. Burning to a DVD takes several minutes more. It is a good idea to budget more time than you think you’ll need.

What if I want to record portions of a video recording?

The software has an Advanced Mode that allows you to record portions of recordings from one or more tapes. Advanced Mode also lets you add transitions, special effects and text to the digitized file. If you are burning to DVD, Advanced Mode also lets you create custom disc menus.

Do I have to make a reservation to use the digitization station?

No, it is available on a first-come, first-served basis whenever the library is open.

Do I have to stay during the entire conversion process?

No, but you are responsible for your personal property. Library staff cannot look after it while you are away.

What if I need help? Will you do this for me?

While we cannot do the whole thing for you, we’re happy to help get you started and work through any issues you come across! Step-by-step instructions are available at the digitization station.

Vinyl to Digital Conversion

1. Place 1st side of record on turntable and the Mode button until the display shows PHONO.
2. Push the lift lever upward and gently move the needle over the record. The record will start spinning automatically. Pull the lift lever down to lower the needle on to the record and start playing.
3. Adjust the volume. Somewhere in the U15 to U20 should be good.
4. Open Audacity on the computer. Press the red record button.
   
5. When the first side of the record finishes, push the lift lever upward again. Move the needle back to it’s starting position to stop the record spinning. If you wish to record the second side, you can flip the record and repeat the steps above to lower the needle on to the record.
6. When the second side finishes press stop in Audacity.
7. Go to File and choose Export->Export as MP3. Change the save location, file name, and format options as desired.
8. Drag the file into iTunes. Right click on the audio file in iTunes and choose Add to Playlist > New Playlist.
9. Go to file and click “Burn Playlist to Disc”.
10. Put a CD-R into the disc tray and burn the CD. You can also drag the file directly on to a USB drive.

Cassette to Digital Conversion

1. Press the Mode button until the display shows TAPE.
2. Insert Side 1 of the cassette into the cassette tape slot on the right side of the machine. The exposed side of the tape should face the back of the machine. After pushing the tape fully into the player, it will automatically start playing.
3. Adjust the volume. Somewhere in the U15 to U20 should be good.
4. Follow the above instructions to record with Audacity.
5. Press the eject button fully in to eject the tape. Press the button halfway in the fast forward.
6. When the tape stops, you can eject the tape and insert Side 2 to continue recording.

Do you have old family vacation slides gathering dust, or film negatives you want to share to social media? Bring them in to MHL! The library has a film scanner that can be used to digitize slides and negatives.

The film scanner is located in the Reference Area and is available on a first-come, first-served basis whenever the library is open. For more information, read the Frequently Asked Questions below or contact our Reference Desk (978-623-8430 | rdesk@mhl.org).

Film scanner FAQs

What is this?

This scanner allows you to digitally preserve your slides and/or negatives. It can scan and create digital images out of 35 mm negative and postive film strips, 120 format film, and 35 mm mounted positive slides.

How does it work?

(Library staff can show you how to do any or all of this. Ask if you have questions!)

1. Open the scanner lid and remove the white protective cover from the top of the scanner.
2. Ask at the Reference Desk for the appropriate film guide. We have film guides for 35 mm film strips, 35 mm mounted slides, and 120 format film.
   • if you have 35 mm film strips, load the film into the guide, then put the guide on the scanner bed.
   • if you have mounted slides or 120 format film, put the guide on the scanner bed, then load the slides/film into the guide.
3. On the computer that the scanner is attached to, launch the LJ Scan Utility software.
4. Click the Custom button.
   
   The software will automatically save to the computer’s Desktop one digital image for each mounted slide or film strip frame in the film guide.
5. When you are finished scanning, save the images onto a blank CD, blank DVD, USB flash drive, external hard drive, or cloud storage service like Google Drive, Dropbox or Flickr.
6. Replace the white protective cover and return the film guide to the Reference Desk.

How much does it cost to use?

It is free, but you will need to provide your own storage media if you want to save your images to a CD, DVD, USB flash drive, etc.

How long does it take?

With default settings, it takes approximately one minute to produce one digital image. The film guides can hold a maximum of 12 film strip frames or four mounted slides at a time, so additional time may be required to load, remove, and reload the film from the guides.

What if I want to scan documents or photos?

Near the film scanner is a flatbed scanner that is optimized for digitizing documents and photos. It is equipped with an automatic document feeder and is connected to a computer that makes it easy to email or save to a USB flash drive the documents or images you scan. If you really want to scan photos or documents using the film scanner, leave the white protective cover in place, launch the LJ Scan Utilty software, and click the Auto button.

Do I have to make a reservation to use the scanner?

No, it is available on a first-come, first saved basis whenever the library is open.

What if I need help? Will you do this for me?

While we cannot do all the work for you, we’ll be happy to help get you started and work through any issues you come across! A printout containing step-by-step instructions for placing and scanning the film is available at the Reference Desk.