The New York Times jumps on the personal media bandwagon today, (coincidental that it’s the day after our Shooting War launch party? I think not.) taking a look at how scrapbooking has gone digital. An excerpt:

Scrapbookers find that going digital solves several problems. For one, they no longer have to devote a room — off limits to children — to store the die cutters, scissors, metal embossers and embellishment materials.

Another advantage is that a scrapbook, stuffed with pages decorated with ribbons, eyelets and mementos, can quickly get thicker than a New York deli sandwich. The albums are hard to peruse and the creators are loath to let people handle them too much because of potential damage. A digital version, whether stored online, on a CD or printed, avoids these problems. And copies can be made in various sizes from coffee-table to souvenir booklets. …

Dan’s Camera City in Allentown, Pa., considered one of the most innovative camera stores in the country, has latched on to the digital scrapbooking interest.

A year ago, the store set up a “digiprint lounge” to encourage people to print more of their digital photos. Shoppers can sip coffee or hot chocolate as they sit in comfortable chairs working on computers. The computers are positioned so that socializing is encouraged. “Some customers will be there for a couple of hours,” said Mike Woodland, chief executive of the store.

And a reminder — check out our Toolbox, which has ideas for scrapbooking as well as plenty of other personal media projects.