Collectibles can be appraised, and records preserved, during a daylong event at the library. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
History and nostalgia will mix and mingle at the Red Bank Public Library on Saturday, October 17, when an antiques-roadshow-style event crosses paths with a records-digitization project.
One part of the event, dubbed “What’s In Your Attic?” and organized by the Friends of the Red Bank Public Library, connects local residents with expert appraisers to offer value estimates on antiques and collectibles.
The other enables patrons to preserve their own photos, films and other memorabilia on digital media.
Here’s the breakdown:
• Throughout the afternoon hours, appraisers brought in by Riverbank Antiques & Interiors of West Front Street will be present be at the historic Eisner Library building to offer guidance on the history, age and approximate value of antiques and collectibles, including silver, china and glass, quilts and textiles, primitives, paintings and prints.
An admission charge of $20 includes the evaluation of one item — with additional items evaluated for $5 each — and an entry for door prizes. Mini-lectures about specific areas of antiques, collectibles and local historic preservation efforts will take place throughout the afternoon in the library’s magnificent Eisner Room. Tickets are available in advance at the library’s circulation desk and at the door on October 17. Take it here or call the library at (732)842-0690 for more information.
• From noon to 2 p.m. that day, the library will also sponsor a digital preservation event. A company called Digital Memory Media will be on site to help library patrons preserve personal collections of prints, photographs, slides and audio-visual material, including VHS videos, 8mm and 16mm movies. Here’s a price list: DMM price list
Twenty percent of all proceeds from the digital preservation event will be credited to the library — so start looking in your attic (or wherever your treasures are stored).
• In addition, library Director Elizabeth McDermott notes that Digital Memory Media is the organization that’s been digitizing Red Bank Regional yearbooks for the library. And as long as its representatives are present, she’s hoping that patrons will bring in their own yearbooks for digitization if they’re not already in the library collection.McDermott said the library would like to digitize Red Bank Catholic yearbooks as well. If you missed redbankgreen’s story about the project, you can read it here.
The caveat is that each book costs $75 to convert to digital media, so donations of books or money is appreciated.
For safekeeping, none of materials will be put in the mail, McDermott notes.
