Jared Daniels
Staff Writer
The Vintage Technology Petting Zoo is a place to see and interact with some rare vintage technologies.
Lillianna Cervantes, senior library assistant for Resource, Discovery and Management at University of Wyoming Libraries, thought of the idea for a Vintage Petting Zoo. She said she thought of the idea from technology petting zoos in which people try newer technology before they purchase it, but she wanted to approach the idea from a different perspective.
“I have always been drawn to older, ‘vintage’ items. It was exciting for me to uncover their ‘secret’ uses, much like solving a mystery,” said Cervantes. Cervantes talked about watching the evolution of these vintage technologies from tape cassettes to mp3 players.
Vintage technology refers to technology that was available prior to the 2000’s and has since become obsolete when compared to today’s technology. The petting zoo will have a variety of vintage items from a plethora of different decades such as cassette and VHS players, floppy disks, a 1930’s analogue typewriter and an 8-track player.
“Colleagues from other departments have stopped by my desk to see what I’ve collected and revealed in the nostalgic feeling they get while touching an item they haven’t thought about in decades,” said Cervantes. “In a way, we’re honoring these memories.”
Many of these vintage technologies have a story behind them. Some of these items on display were left behind or purchased because of memories associated with them. A Walkman on display was carried in the middle east through the military operation, Desert Storm. Some of the displayed items are available to interact with, however some of the technologies on display are fragile.
“I wanted people to be aware that the library wasn’t just a building with books for a patron to study in,” said Cervantes.
She explained her hope for this event was to not only increase the awareness that the library is a place to ask questions, get resources, create and have fun, but also bring joy.
The stories of many of these technologies can also be heard during the petting zoo. The event will offer vintage games that the public is welcome to play.
The vintage technologies will start to be displayed today through Thursday, and will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vintage video gaming stations will be available for attendees to use Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The petting zoo for vintage technologies is free and open to the public. The event is located by the Coe Student Innovation Center in the alcove, and the vintage gaming stations will be set up in Coe Library room 233. These gaming stations will include a computer loaded with retro games and an Atari system available for the public to use.
Tristan Kutzer
