Photo by Deb Gau Equipment at the new Mark S. Goodenow Preservation Lab will allow members of the public to make digital copies of home movies, photo slides and more, said technology librarian Emilirose Rasmusson.

MARSHALL — Mark Goodenow had a lifelong passion for history, and played a key role in supporting the Marshall-Lyon County Library. It was fitting to remember him with a library service that lets people preserve their own history, area residents said.

“It’s all of his interests rolled into one,” said Pat Brace.

Brace, a friend and colleague of Goodenow, was one of the community members who gathered Friday to dedicate the Mark S. Goodenow Preservation Lab at the MLCL.

The lab will allow members of the public to create digital copies of older media like home movies, audio cassettes, and more.

In a message shared at the dedication ceremony, Goodenow’s brother Mason Goodenow said the Preservation Lab was “the perfect venue to remember Mark, and Mark’s life’s work.”

Mark Goodenow was a longtime professor at Southwest Minnesota State University, as well as a Lyon County commissioner, and a member of the Marshall-Lyon County Library Board. Goodenow died Feb. 2, at the age of 68.

“Mark had a lot of connections in the community, and he cared about the community,” said Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes. One of Goodenow’s connections was with the MLCL. He was part of the often challenging discussions on where and how the current library facilities should be built, Byrnes said.

After Goodenow’s death, a bequest from his estate allowed the MLCL to add more shelving in both the adult and children’s libraries, and to put the children’s picture book collection into bins for easier browsing.

In addition, Goodenow’s family and friends approached the library about making memorial donations, said MLCL Director Michele Leininger.

Leininger said the Preservation Lab project “had been in the Board and library staff’s hearts since 2019.” With the help of the memorial donations, MLCL would be able to have additional computer programs and equipment, as well as a fund to support the Preservation Lab.

The Preservation Lab includes a variety of equipment and computer software that lets the public create digital files of older media. Patrons can create digital copies of media like VHS tapes, 8-millimeter film, photo slides and audio cassettes, said MLCL web and technology librarian Emilirose Rasmusson.

“It’s an exciting thing,” Rasmusson said.

Patrons can sign up at the library for a time to use the lab. There is no charge to use the lab, but patrons need to bring their own SD card or USB flash drive to save their files on.

Brace said Goodenow’s friends and family loved the idea of honoring his memory through the Preservation Lab.

“This library was a labor of love for him,” Brace said. Goodenow would also have loved to give others the opportunity to preserve pieces of their own family histories, she said.