Photo Essay: Densho’s Second Community Scanning Day held at KCLS’s Bellevue Library

June 22, 2026

Densho partnered with King County Library System’s Darcy Ruppert, Memory Lab Librarian, to host our second Community Scanning Day on May 9, 2026. In this post, Densho Processing Archivist Christen Greenhill Robichaud recounts the day’s activities through photos, offering insight into the important community and preservation work conducted by our archives team.

In May, the entire archives team packed up their equipment and headed to the Bellevue Library to share their expertise with community members interested in preserving their family materials. Archive managers Caitlin Oiye Coon (Archives Director), Micah Merryman (Archivist), and Sara Beckman (Digital Archivist) gave a short presentation to attendees, sharing tips on selecting materials, explaining digitization standards, and providing basic guidelines for conducting oral histories with family members.

Densho archivist Micah Merryman stands in front of room and presents on selecting and preserving materials. Slide reads: "What to Preserve: Myth versus Fact." — Micah Merryman presents on selecting and preserving materials.

Densho archivist Sara Beckman stands in front of classroom and answers questions about digitization. Slide next to her reads: "Digitizing Your Family Archives" — Sara Beckman answers questions about digitization.

Densho Archives Director Caitlin Oiye Coon stands in front of room and advises on how to conduct oral histories. Slide next to her says: "Oral Histories: Getting Started." — Caitlin Oiye Coon advises on how to conduct oral histories.

After the presentation, community members brought in photographs, documents, and artifacts from their family collections to be digitized in the Bellevue Library’s makerspace. Densho’s Dina Moreno (Processing Archivist) and Christen Greenhill Robichaud (Processing Archivist) joined to assist in digitizing several collections.

Densho archivist Dina Moreno is standing and using a flatbed scanner, which is placed on a wooden desk. Next to the scanner are papers and her laptop. — Dina Moreno using a flatbed scanner.

Two Densho archivists stand on the left hand side across from a community member standing opposite them on the other side of a desk. The Densho staff hold and review papers, talking about them with the community member. — Caitlin Oiye Coon and Micah Merryman review a collection with a community member.

Densho archivist Micah Merryman sits at a desk and looks through a donor’s collection. She is holding a book in one hand and taking notes on a paper with the other hand. On the desk sits a stack of books, as well as a silver box, a small brown box, and some other materials. — Micah Merryman looks through a donor’s collection.

Densho Archives Team members are seen working at a long desk that stretches backward. One staff member sits closest to the camera, sitting and working at her laptop. Behind her is another staff member standing and talking to a community member. In the background you see two more Densho staff talking to another community member. The desk is covered with various papers, a scanner, and some boxes. — Archives Team working in Bellevue Library’s Makerspace.

It was very impactful for the archives team to sit with donors and discuss the individual items as materials were being digitized. This was a rare and special opportunity to connect in-person and learn directly from donors whom we don’t always have access to.

Densho received five total collections at the second Community Scanning Day. Check the Densho Digital Repository for these new collections coming soon!

Learn more about preserving your family archives, recording your own oral histories, and Densho’s other resources for family history and genealogy research. We look forward to more community scanning opportunities in the future.

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By Christen Greenhill Robichaud, Densho Processing Archivist.

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