The Library Foundation Receives Large Gift to Fund Memory Lab

The Springfield-Greene County Library Foundation recently received a $280,000 gift from Larry and Tracy Lipscomb to establish a Memory Lab at the Library Center. Memory labs are a growing trend in library systems across the United States. This gift will cover the construction and equipment that will provide Library patrons with the ability to digitize family materials, including photographs, slides, documents, home movies, audio tapes and other media.

The space will also provide a room for families to gather and record oral history interviews. Family members can sit together, ask questions, tell family stories, and record the interaction, all in the same place. “The memory lab provides an opportunity to educate our Library users about preservation, provide innovative technology, and connect families together through genealogy," said Brian Grubbs, Local History & Genealogy Manager for the Library District. “We are so excited to work with the Lipscomb family to develop this memory lab and offer it to our community,” he continued.

“This memory lab will provide access to our community to document and record regional history. We name this room after Cathryn “Kitty” Cox Lipscomb, who had a passion for our area history and served in many ways as a local historian. She would be so pleased that this lab opportunity is available,” said Tracy and Larry Lipscomb.

The Library will begin construction on the space later this summer with plans to open the lab to the public in early 2027.

The Springfield-Greene County Library Foundation’s mission is to strengthen the Springfield-Greene County Library District, which operates 10 branches and other services across Greene County. The Foundation’s Board of Directors fulfills that mission through the cultivation, growth, and thoughtful stewardship of charitable contributions, planned gifts, and grant funds. Founded in 1993, it is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.