You may have noticed changes in the library if you’ve visited us recently. We moved our adult and young adult DVDs to the second floor of the main building, along with the new magazines and newspapers. All of this was to make space for two study rooms and a designated Memory Lab. I’m pleased to share that we’ve completed this project, and our study rooms and updated Memory Lab are available for public use!

We often receive requests for a quiet, semi-private space for individuals or small groups. The library now offers two study rooms for this purpose. Our smaller study room offers space for up to two people and our larger study room can accommodate up to four people. There is no cost to use the study rooms and you don’t need to have a library card.

Study room reservations may be made up to two weeks in advance by calling or visiting the library. Rooms may be available for drop-in use if no reservations exist. You can view our full Study Room Use Policy by visiting www.newulmlibrary.org and choosing About Us, then Library Policies. Groups larger than four should consider using our meeting room. Our Meeting Room Use Policy is also found on the Library Policies page.

While we were installing study rooms, we also created a designated space for our Memory Lab. The library’s Memory Lab houses equipment that allows patrons to convert their family memories to current formats. We currently have the equipment to digitize documents, photographs, negatives, slides, audio cassettes, VHS tapes, Betamax tapes, reel-to-reel audio, 8mm and Super 8 film, camcorder tapes, phonographs, and 3.5-inch floppy discs.

New Memory Lab users must make an appointment with a library staff member to learn how to use the equipment. Remember that digitization occurs in real time. This means that if you bring a two-hour-long home movie to digitize, then the actual time for just the digitization itself will take two hours. You are required to stay to monitor the full digitization process of your materials.

If you’d like to make an appointment to use the Memory Lab, visit www.newulmlibrary.org and choose Digital Library, or call the library at 507-359-8331. There is no cost to use the Memory Lab, but you will need to provide your own device (often called a thumb drive, flash drive, or memory stick) on which to store your digitized files. Library staff are happy to answer any initial questions you may have when you book your appointment.

We invite you to check out our updated space, reserve a study room, or make a Memory Lab appointment! New Ulm Public Library is located at 17 North Broadway and is open Monday-Thursday from 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The library will be closed on Thursday, June 19, for Juneteenth