Scrapbooking in Utah Valley used to mean a trip to one of 22 scrapbook stores (that was the count in the 2004 Yellow Pages, as our history of the Utah scrapbooking boom explains). Today the same impulse, saving family photos with the stories that go with them, runs through a scanner and FamilySearch as often as through a paper album. The valley is still a good place to do it: there are free scanners staffed by volunteers, a large family history library on BYU's campus, and RootsTech, which FamilySearch calls the world's largest family history conference, about 53 minutes north by car in Salt Lake City (OSRM routing from downtown Provo, no traffic).
This guide covers the practical side: where to scan, how FamilySearch Memories works, where to buy supplies, and where people gather.
Start with the shoebox: scan first
Whatever you plan to make, scan the originals first. A scan is the backup if an album is damaged, and it is what you need for FamilySearch, photo books and sharing with siblings.
Free, do-it-yourself scanning
BYU Family History Library, Harold B. Lee Library, Provo. On the BYU campus (2250 HBLL), open to the public. Google lists it as open Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 8 to 6, Saturday 10 to 6 and Sunday 4 to 8 p.m. Reviewers describe "great machines to scan and record photos and documents" and helpful volunteers; one scanned a great-grandmother's autobiography there. Our guide to family history centers in Utah Valley covers what else the library holds and what to bring (a flash drive is the main thing).
Meetinghouse family history centers. Many Church meetinghouses have a family history center with a scanner and volunteers. The Provo Utah South Family History Center at 835 South 500 West is one; reviewers say it offers classes in English and Spanish on Wednesday evenings and a shelf of games for children. Hours are short and vary by center, so check before going.
Paid services, for tapes, slides and volume
| Service | Where | What reviewers describe |
|---|---|---|
| The Digitizing Guy | 244 W 300 S, Provo | Photos, slides, film reels; pickup and delivery |
| Preserving Your Memories | Cedar Hills | VHS tapes, audio cassettes, photos |
| theFINDlab | 187 W Center, Provo | Film developing and scanning |
The Digitizing Guy is listed as open Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Preserving Your Memories keeps weekday hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. theFINDlab is a film lab, open weekdays 9 to 5 and Saturday 10 to 6, useful if you are shooting film for an album or have undeveloped rolls.
Ask any service about price per item, resolution, file format (TIFF for archiving, JPEG for sharing), turnaround and how originals are handled.
FamilySearch Memories: the rules that matter
FamilySearch's Memories feature attaches photos, documents, audio and stories to people in its shared Family Tree, where relatives can find them. From FamilySearch's help center:
- What you can upload. Photos (.jpeg, .png, .tiff, .bmp), documents (plain text and .pdf) and audio (including .mp3, .wav, .mp4, .m4a and .ogg). You can also write a story with images, or record audio directly.
- File size. Up to 15 MB per file.
- How many. There is no set limit on the number of memories, but FamilySearch warns that an account with more than 5,000 memories can perform slowly. Each person in the tree can hold up to 1,000 memory tags.
- Where to upload. On the website, go to Memories, then Gallery, or open a person's Memories tab in Family Tree and click Add Memories. In the app, tap the plus sign and choose Add Photo or Add Document.
- Tagging. Tag each photo and document individually so it links to the right person. Items cannot be tagged during a multi-file upload, so upload in batches and tag afterward.
A 15 MB cap means a high-resolution TIFF of a large photo may be too big. Keep your archival TIFF at home and upload a high-quality JPEG.
The memory-keeping part. A photo without a caption is half a memory. When you upload, write who is in it, where and when, and the story if you know it. That is the scrapbooker's instinct (journaling, in scrapbook terms) moved online, and it is what makes the upload useful to a cousin in 30 years.
RootsTech 2027
RootsTech, run by FamilySearch, returns to the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City on March 4 to 6, 2027. The Deseret News reported early-bird in-person pricing of $69 for one day and $99 for three days, with prices rising closer to the event, and free online registration. Announced keynote speakers include DNA expert CeCe Moore, actress and author Jane Seymour, and FamilySearch CEO Steve Rockwood. There will be in-person and virtual expo halls.
Our guide to RootsTech from Utah Valley covers how the pass tiers work, how to plan a day there and getting there from Utah County.
Paper albums: where to buy supplies
The independent scrapbook stores are mostly gone, but supplies are not:
- Hobby Lobby lists a Scrapbook & Paper Crafts department; its four Utah County stores (American Fork, Orem, Spanish Fork, Saratoga Springs) are open Monday to Saturday until 8 p.m.
- Michaels, American Fork and Orem, open until 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
- The Paper Store and More, 1786 South State Street, Orem: paper, cardstock and envelopes. Weekdays 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday until 3.
- Pebbles in my Pocket, 1132 South State Street, Orem: the boom-era scrapbook store, still listed on Google with recent reviews praising its current paper lines, but with no posted hours. Call (801) 226-2632.
All are closed Sunday. Our craft stores guide has the full list.
For archival albums, look for "acid-free" and "lignin-free" paper and "PVC-free" page protectors; they slow yellowing and damage to photos.
Where memory-keepers gather
At home and at church. Most crops (scrapbooking get-togethers) here happen around someone's kitchen table or in a cultural hall. For a ward event, the Church handbook rules on scheduling, Monday nights and who pays for supplies apply; our guide to starting a craft group lays them out.
A crop space in Salt Lake. Sugar House Craft & Create, 1066 East 2100 South, Salt Lake City, is a craft space where reviewers describe scrapbooking play days with access to shared stamps, inks, punches, die-cuts and cutting systems, and an owner who helps. Its posted hours are irregular (closed Tuesday and Thursday), so book ahead.
Retreat houses. For a weekend away, Maple Mountain Quilt Retreat in Spanish Fork rents a house set up for eight crafters, with work tables and design walls; it is built for quilters, so ask whether your group's setup fits. Our quilt shop guide lists other retreats.
A simple plan for one box of photos
- Sort into piles by person or decade. Pull the best 50.
- Scan them (a family history center or the BYU library for free, a service for volume).
- Caption each scan with names, place, date and story while the people who know are alive to ask.
- Upload the most important to FamilySearch Memories and tag each person.
- Make something from the scans: a printed album, a photo book or a few framed prints. Keep the originals in an archival box.
For research into the people in the photos, our guide to family history beyond FamilySearch covers the county records and university collections.
Related Guides
- The Utah Scrapbooking Boom
- Family History Centers in Utah Valley
- RootsTech From Utah Valley
- Family History in Utah Valley: Beyond FamilySearch
- The Genealogy Industry in Utah Valley
- Craft Stores in Utah Valley After JOANN
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I upload to FamilySearch Memories?
How do I tag a photo to an ancestor on FamilySearch?
Where can I scan old photos for free in Provo?
Who can digitize VHS tapes, slides and photos in Utah County?
When is RootsTech 2027?
Where can I buy scrapbook supplies in Utah County?
Is there a place to crop or scrapbook with a group?
Should I keep paper albums or go digital?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- How do I upload memories to FamilySearch?, FamilySearch. Checked October 20, 2026.
- How many memories (photos, stories, documents and audio files) can I upload?, FamilySearch. Checked October 20, 2026.
- RootsTech home page, FamilySearch. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Hobby Lobby home page (department list), Hobby Lobby. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Pebbles in my Pocket website (last updated 2014), Pebbles in my Pocket. Checked October 20, 2026.
- RootsTech 2027 registration and keynote speakers (Sept. 23, 2026), Deseret News. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Scrapbook gives fun for all ages (Feb. 13, 2004), The Daily Universe (BYU). Checked October 20, 2026.
- Google Places listings: BYU Family History Library, Provo Utah South Family History Center, The Digitizing Guy, Preserving Your Memories, theFINDlab, Paper Store and More, Pebbles in my Pocket, Sugar House Craft & Create, Maple Mountain Quilt Retreat (Oct. 2026), Google Maps (Places). Checked October 20, 2026.
- OSRM route service (drive times, no traffic), Project OSRM / OpenStreetMap. Checked October 20, 2026.
