The Midwest Historical & Genealogical Society has opened Melinda’s Corner, a free public service made possible through funding from the estate of Melinda Fultz. Located at 1203 N. Main in Wichita, volunteers help individuals transfer, digitize, and preserve personal data and family memories from a wide range of older media formats — before those formats become unreadable forever.

Melinda’s Corner is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary, though visitors are asked to call ahead at 316-264-3611. Bring a USB drive to take your files home. All services are free of charge.

Services currently available

Data transfer: 3.5” floppy disks, CDs and DVDs, most memory card types.

Video digitizing: VHS tapes, DVDs, 8mm and Super 8 film.

Scanning: Slides, negatives, prints, and oversize items such as scrapbooks and ledgers (via camera stand).

Genealogy file format conversion: PAF, GEDCOM, Ancestral Quest, GRAMPS, Legacy, The Master Genealogist, etc.

Volunteers are also working to expand capabilities to include 5.25” floppy disks and Zip drives, and to add audio formats such as cassette tapes, micro-cassettes, and vinyl records. Betamax and Blu-ray support are also under consideration. Updates will be announced as those services become available.

Genealogists and family historians are especially encouraged to visit — volunteers can assist with converting files between all major genealogy software formats, making it easy to share or migrate your research.

“I’m so thankful for Melinda Fultz’s bequest, which has allowed us to get the equipment to put the Digital Preservation Center together. I know people will find this free station useful to upgrade old-format items to more easily viewed digital formats.”

— Ann Boll, President, Midwest Historical & Genealogical Society