DIGITAL AND AUDIO-VISUAL PRESERVATION: INFORMATION RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES FOR THE LONG-TERM PRESERVATION OF AND PUBLIC ACCESS TO AUDIO-VISUAL, INCLUDING DIGITAL AUDIO-VISUAL M
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DIGITAL AND AUDIO-VISUAL PRESERVATION: INFORMATION RESOURCES
INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES FOR THE LONG-TERM PRESERVATION OF AND PUBLIC ACCESS TO AUDIO-VISUAL, INCLUDING DIGITAL AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS
Prepared by: Richard Lochead and Michele L Wozny Submitted to: Movable Cultural Property Directorate, Department of Canadian Heritage
August 2012
For useful Glossaries please see:
http://www.media-matters.net/resources.html#glossaries
Professional Associations
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - United States
Key Publication: The Digital Dilemma 2: Perspectives from Independent Filmmakers,
Documentarians and Non-profit Audiovisual Archives, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,
2012.
Available at: http://www.oscars.org/science-technology/council/projects/digitaldilemma2/
Please note: The Digital Dilemma 2 is a sequel to and builds on The Digital Dilemma which was published in 2007 and focussed on the challenge posed by digital preservation for the major feature film companies The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also published a more technical study Long term Management and Storage of Digital Motion Picture Materials in 2008.
Of particular significance: Non-profit Archives (pg 38-66) This chapter provides the best and most
updated account of the impact and implications of digital audio-visual preservation for heritage organisations as of June 2012
While the publication has been written by recognized experts who are well acquainted with existing literature in the field, it is intended for a wide and general audience (i.e audio-visual executives, journalists, etc.), and is not therefore, overly technical in its language Based on an extensive survey that canvassed a cross section of several non-profit organizations, the publication applies the most current thinking in the field to the smaller non-profit audio-visual heritage context It also includes a selection of detailed case studies, which are provided in an appendix.
This is essential reading The only caveat is that the section on detailed case studies suggests that the
average non-profit archive will have a staff of four or more, which is far above the Canadian reality Recommendations in The Digital Dilemma 2, within the Canadian context, would therefore apply to
medium or large scale institutions with such staffing Nonetheless, some general advice will apply to both small and larger organizations in Canada
The publication articulates clearly and documents objectively the repercussions that new digital technology is having on traditional preservation practices that remain oriented toward analogue film
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heritage From the chapter on non-profit audio-visual archives, several key actions were identified as
critical to digital-specific formats These include: migration to new media; redundancy (saving several copies); verifying data integrity; and, scheduling and managing preservation activities.
Data Storage Systems and Metadata
Preservation metadata enables digital preservation by maintaining information such as file validity, access
history and migration status Regarding storage systems, The Digital Dilemma 2 cites a scalable
approach to data storage that reflects the size of the organization in question and its resources While it is
obviously important that all digital data is backed up, the method of how best to do this will again differ
according to the resources available to the organization Large archives use parent organization Information Technology (IT) departments to do back up, while other organizations will develop their own systems For example, smaller organizations might duplicate files on portable hard drives but some respondents to the survey noted that they were able to create only one copy, because it was too expensive to manage two files, especially in the case of film, due to file size
Policy
The Digital Dilemma 2 does make recommendations in key areas that pertain to the establishment of
formal preservation policies and practices, as follows The audio-visual archival community should:1
1 Adopt a tiered approach toward recommended file formats and codecs (E.g provide recommended formats according to varying resource capacities of institutions) For more information, see Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines (U.S.): www.digitization guidelines gov/
2 Establish in-house or co-operative digital reformatting facilities instead of out-sourcing for digitization.
3 Foster productive and reciprocal relationships with IT departments.
4 Develop affordable fee-based digital preservation relationship with bigger institutions (e.g partnership with larger libraries or other non-profits).
5 Practice geographical dispersal.
6 Identify and use archive–oriented metadata and file management tools.
7 Identify and provide further education for staff in digital audio-visual preservation (workshops and best practices).
Technical Support
The Digital Dilemma 2 authors point out that it is more convenient to store digital files on fully managed
storage systems that are equipped with data tape drivers, rather than portable physical hard drives or recordable optical media Such smaller systems are more labour intensive, have a higher risk of human error and often suffer hard drive malfunction
It is also acknowledged that simply storing digital information is not sufficient for its long-term
preservation Data must be backed up and all material must go through verification processes The Digital Dilemma 2 suggests the following as general best practices guidelines:2
Data must be backed up after any changes have been made to the handling or migration of information; and,
Data must be duplicated to enable storage in different geographic locations
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The survey noted that less than one third of the respondents practised geographical dispersal (also
known as vault separation)
In terms of verification, regular inspection of all digital files includes what is known as a fixity check,
which verifies that a file has not been changed in any way The authors recommend that fixity checks be
performed on a regular basis, due to the possibility of file corruption (bit rot) However, regarding fixity
checks and file validation, The Digital Dilemma 2 survey also reported that while most respondents used
checksum calculations, very few did them on a defined schedule.3
The Digital Dilemma 2 claims that small archives are not acquiring digital audio-visual records due to:
fears around security issues (computer viruses, lack of resources to implement fixity checks); an inability
to trust clear provenance (verification); the rapidity of technological obsolescence resulting in too many file formats to juggle; an inability to implement proper Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems that would store, preserve and stream audio-visual records; and, the lack of in-house software necessary to view digital files.4 For large institutions, any resistance to switch to digital is due largely to the expense required to retrofit equipment and establish new workflows.
Relationship with IT departments:
Large and medium archives depended on IT department to store files and to use their workflows and resources A key problem rests within the incompatibility of audio-visual preservation policies versus the policies of IT departments, which are less oriented to preservation (i.e monitoring and a regular migration schedule) Ideal scenario: Archivists identify recommended digital preservation actions according to archival principles and the IT department implements, or recommends how best to achieve optimum preservation practices
The Digital Dilemma 2 concludes that the biggest challenges are keeping up with technology, employing
trained staff, developing clear policy for migration plans (deciding how much really needs to be digitized), developing collaborative mechanisms to cope with the scope of the challenges, and of course, funding.
AMIA (Association of Moving Image Archivists) - United States
www.amianet.org/
Established in North America in 1991, AMIA is a United States based organization that includes representation from both the audio-visual industry and the audio-visual heritage community AMIA expanded rapidly during the 1990s due to the vast increase in moving image archival activity in North America and the new interest of large film and television companies who suddenly viewed their archives
as major sources of potential revenue rather than a storage expense AMIA conferences and workshops soon became the focal point for information exchange, education and debate among audio-visual archivists and the audio-visual industry AMIA’s focus on the moving image encompassed both film and television communities and reflected the trend to media convergence and has allowed AMIA to take a leadership role in the discussion about the impact of digital technology on audio-visual archives
AMIA has a permanent secretariat, holds an annual conference, organizes workshops and has several working committees and task forces It publishes a professional journal, The Moving Image, and a newsletter, but its most distinguishing feature is its listserv Open to members and non-members alike, the
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AMIA-L listserv has become the most popular information source for moving image archivists; first in North America and now throughout the world Many Canadian audio-visual archivists often identify the AMIA listserv as their major source of communication, not only with audio-visual archivists abroad but also with other Canadians ,
The Resource section on the AMIA website lists many useful publications; especially useful are those pertaining to best practices in analogue video, but there are few publications dated after 2008 One particular example is a series of factsheets, which cover major aspects of moving image archival practice
in clear concise language; this is ideal for training purposes or for those being introduced to audio-visual preservation The Resource section also includes a glossary and key articles on analogue video preservation, written by internationally recognized experts Jim Wheeler and Jim Lindner Some examples are:
Videotape Preservation Handbook, Jim Wheeler, 2002
Although written in 2002, this is still considered a key source for best practices on how to preserve analogue video tape Focused on preservation, the handbook includes best practice advice on care and handling techniques, reformatting, storage and vault conditions, risk management and emergency preparedness It concludes with a simple but useful list of Dos and Don’ts.
Free online at: www amia net.org/resources/ guide s/ Wheeler Video.pdf
The Proper Care and Feeding of Videotape, Jim Lindner for Media Matters
The publication is short and presents best practices in a straightforward way, aimed at small institutions Free online at: http://www.media-matters.net/aboutus.html
Convert Your Analogue Videotapes To Digital – Now! Jim Wheeler, 2008.
This 5-page document provides excellent advice from a leading international expert on how to convert analogue videotapes to digital material, focusing on best practice procedures and equipment It is aimed
at institutions with small budgets and actually provides costs estimates for equipment circa 2008
Free online at: http//digitalfoward.net/white_papers09.pdf
ARSC (Association for Recorded Sound Collections) - United States
ARSC was established to serve the mutual interests and concerns of audio record collectors and its membership is predominately American as are its publications Although membership is required to gain access to most of the publications, the website does include a useful, updated and free online resource section on audio-visual training
Education and Training in Audiovisual Archiving and Preservation lists classes, training programmes
and courses on audio-visual archiving and preservation in the United States and throughout the world Available at: http://www.arsc-audio.org/
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CCAAA (Co-ordinating Committee of Archival AV Associations) - International
The CCAAA is literally a co-ordinating committee for the major international audio-visual heritage organizations and also serves to promote and lobby for audio-visual heritage at the international level Its membership includes AMIA, FIAF, FIAT IASA, and SEAPAVAA, as well as the International Council of Archives (ICA) and IFLA Although the website includes mostly policy statements, there is also a publication on training that is of particular interest
While the following publication is somewhat dated, it does provide a solid overview of needs related to audio-visual preservation, as well as recommendations for audio-visual training across the world.
Key Publication: CCAAA Strategic Framework for Professional Development, 2006
Available on: www.ccaaa.org
CLIR (Council on Library and Information Resources) - United States
CLIR is an independent, non-profit organization that forges strategies to enhance research, teaching and learning environments, as collaborations between libraries, cultural institutions, and communities While most of its publications are directed at more general library and archival functions and concerns, the website also promotes two studies that relate directly to audio-visual practices.
The following key publications are free online at www.clir.org :
Magnetic Tape Storage and Handling: A Guide for Libraries and Archives, European Commission on
Preservation (ECPA-closed in 2008) and Access and National Media Laboratory, 1995.
The above guide provides very thorough technical advice for the preservation of analogue tape
Structured Glossary, published by the Technical Assessment Advisory Committee to the ECPA, is a
useful and extensive glossary of key preservation terms.
FIAF (International Federation of Film Archives)
Founded in Paris in 1938, the Fédération internationale des archives du film (FIAF) is the oldest and most established international organization for audio-visual heritage It has a membership of over 120 film archives in 68 countries FIAF was established out of a concern that valuable film heritage would be lost if its preservation was left to commercial producers FIAF provides an important link and means of reconciliation between the oft competing interest of archives in preserving films and the interest of cinémathèques in screening them By binding all FIAF members to agreed upon conditions for preserving and screening films, FIAF established internationally recognized best practices for the loan and exhibition
of films.
FIAF’s strong international representation was largely responsible for the drafting of the “Stockholm Declaration” issued by UNESCO in 1980 Entitled, “Recommendation for the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images”, the document requests all nations take measures to protect their film
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heritage by establishing film archives and by adding film to existing legal deposit legislation The Stockholm Declaration effectively made preservation of audio-visual heritage a recognized international concern and responsibility.
FIAF has a full time secretariat, holds annual conferences, provides research support to its members and operates outreach activities In recent years, many FIAF members have been uneasy and critical about the switch to digital formats in place of film and in particular, for film preservation Consequently,
international leadership in the field of audio-visual preservation for digital moving image is now taken up
by Presto Centre and AMIA
Key Publications, available on: www.fiafnet.org/uk/ include:
Preservation Best Practices (2009)
Recommendations on the Deposit and Acquisition of D-cinema (2010)
This publication provides a good statement on the archival issues posed by the use of digital encryption for films
FIAT (International Federation of Television Archives)
Similar in scope, but much smaller than FIAF, FIAT was established in the 1970s by national archival institutions and national broadcasters with large holdings of broadcast recordings The membership is open to any organization or individual interested in promoting the preservation of broadcast heritage; it seeks to provide a forum for information exchange and co-operation among television archives and to develop strategies to advance the protection of broadcast heritage at a national and international level.
Key Publication: Archives at Risk
Essentially a research program, this document provides an excellent summary of key elements for best practices within the various functions of audio-visual broadcast archiving, such as collection development, cataloguing, preservation and access Unfortunately, the links relating to sample documents and models
of best practices for these functions are still listed on their website as “coming soon” Nevertheless the site is still useful for its overview and description of core requirements in audio-visual archiving.
Available on: http://www.archivesatrisk.org/cont/papers_collection.aspx
IASA (International Association of Sound Archives)
www.iasa-web.org/
Like FIAF for film, and FIAT for television, IASA was founded to advance the common interests of sound archives throughout the world IASA is widely recognized for its leading international role in developing digital standards for audio preservation through its publication IASA-TC 04
Key publication: Guidelines on the Production and Preservation of Digital Audio Objects,
International Association of Sound Archives, TC04, 2nd Edition 2009.
Available for purchase or to members upon joining IASA.
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Sound is the format for which the most universally acknowledged best practices have emerged; experts in
the field cite this particular publication as the best source for best practices for digital audio It is an
updated and expanded revised edition of an earlier IASA publication, IASA-TC03 (now free online), which covered both analogue and digital materials Because technical standards for audio were resolved by
2005, this can be considered a definitive publication; it sets the standard for what should be done to best preserve these acquisitions.
Widely recognized by the professional heritage community, the publication is very technical, and may in fact be considered too technical or advanced for smaller organizations or those institutions where audio represents a small portion of overall holdings However, the book is particularly noteworthy for the
chapter, Small Scale Approaches to Digital Storage, which includes equipment, techniques and software
advice The question of risk management is also addressed throughout the book, as well as the production of access copies, as it is noted that ‘long term access is the product of appropriate preservation.’ The publication does not, however, address copyright or acquisition-related issues
IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations)
Key publication, free online at: http://archive.ifla.org/V11/s35/pubs/avm-guidelines04.htm
Guidelines for Audiovisual and Multimedia Materials in Libraries and other Institutions,
International Federation of Library Associations, 2004.
This is the only significant publication from IFLA pertaining to audio-visual heritage Although somewhat dated (2004), and general in scope, the document does provide good advice on some key areas, including budgeting, which is rarely mentioned in other studies As a library publication, it has more of an access orientation and includes a useful section on copyright and licensing
Media Matters - United States
http://www.media-matters.net/aboutus.html
Media Matters is the name of a consultancy company headed by the internationally recognized visual preservation expert, Jim Lindner This company developed the SAMMA system, which is widely used to convert analogue video to digital file formats The company is also a partner in Presto Centre and
audio-is involved in several of its projects including: An Integrated Solution for AV Preservation and Access and the Digital Video Preservation Reformatting Project
The Media Matters website is noteworthy for its excellent Resources Section matters.net/resources.html This section of the website includes selected articles on the following topics: Digital Asset Management, Metadata, Digital Files, Digital Preservation, Digital Storage, Wrapper/Container File Format, Videotape Reformatting, and Traditional Audio-visual Preservation The Resources section also includes a heading for Glossaries, which provides links to key glossaries produced by various audio-visual heritage organizations and experts.
http://www.media-MIC (Moving Image Collections) - United States
http://gondolin.rutgers.edu/MIC/
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Moving Image Collections (MIC) is affiliated with the Library of Congress and AMIA; its key foci are education, preservation and access to audio-visual materials The MIC site is hosted in collaboration with their sponsors, AMIA and the Library of Congress.
MIC is essentially an integrated online catalogue of moving images collections held by a variety of organizations, (including libraries, museums, archives and television broadcasting companies), which are accessed through a portal The Archive Directory on the MIC site provides information on various archives and their policies on access, including preservation, copyright and donor issues.
The goal of the MIC portal is to provide access to moving image collections for educators, researchers, exhibitors, and the general public The portal also “allows preservationists to collaborate in describing and maintaining this unique cultural resource and thus avoid costly duplication of effort.”5 Another important goal of MIC is “to bring a very flexible but standardized metadata architecture to the diverse resources necessary to integrate moving images into the information mainstream with the understanding that society values most highly what it understands and uses.”6
Access is addressed most obviously through the following:7
Union catalogue of moving images, including films, videos, and digital streaming video
Searchable directory of organizations with moving image collections
Portals for archivists, educators and other communities.
Search displays combining information about services and access to collections with title
and collection information
Cataloguing Resources
Many small-scale repositories lack the infrastructure to catalogue effectively Utility is a front-end input
form that allows a participating organization to create a record directly in a core format, feed that record into a mapping utility and the export utility, and then export the record to the home database The idea is
to provide a downloadable database in open source or low-cost RDBMS that support both Dublin Core and MPEG 7 MIC provides examples of how the MPEG 7 Database will be designed, and importantly, how to map between MPEG 7 and Dublin Core.
SEAPAVAA (South-East Asia-Pacific AV Archives Association) (International)
SEAPAVAA was founded in 1996 as an association of organizations and individuals involved or interested
in the development of audio-visual archives in the countries of Southeast Asia It is now a member of ordinating Council of Audio-visual Archive Associations and provides an organizational model for other regions.
Co-Key publication available free online at http://archives.pia.gov.ph/seapavaa/: Basic Manual on Setting
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The manual could be of universal interest to smaller regional audio-visual archives and is described on the website as follows: “Still a work in progress, this manual aims to provide the region with basic reference material on various areas covering the relevant background information.” It lays the basic groundwork for issues relevant to the setting up of audio-visual archives and also provides solutions or recommendations specific to the concerns of individual archives depending available resources
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
UNESCO defines its role in audio-visual preservation as working with major international audio-visual organizations to support the following: production of policy statements and position papers; exchange of information; and, implementation of projects which support audio-visual archives throughout the world UNESCO supports and promotes the World Day for International Audio-visual Heritage
Key publication: Audiovisual Archiving: Philosophy and Principles, Ray Edmondson, 2004
Available at: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001364/136477e.pdf
This was first published in 1998 and revised in 2004.The revised version reflects the changes that have occurred in the audio-visual archiving field in the intervening period, ranging from the challenges of digitization and rapid technological changes This document presents a case for viewing audio-visual archives as a distinct profession and discipline and is widely recognized and cited as the best articulation
of audio-visual principles and philosophy.
European Audio-visual Heritage Projects
Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS) – United Kingdom
Key publication: Digital Moving Image Images and Sound Archiving Study, Arts and Humanities Data
Service (AHDS), 2006
Free online at: final.pdf
http://www.ahds.ac.uk/about/projects/archiving-studies/moving-images-sound-archiving-A detailed and major research publication, Digital Moving Images and Sound http://www.ahds.ac.uk/about/projects/archiving-studies/moving-images-sound-archiving-Archiving Study was
acknowledged as the leading report of 2006, and it has been referenced in several other studies researched Leading international experts participated or were consulted in this report, including Richard Wright from the British Broadcasting Corporation and Carl Fleischhauer-Library of Congress).
The findings of the study are oriented toward those already familiar with audio-visual digital terminology and these have been updated in subsequent studies now found on Presto Centre; AHDS no longer exists
as its funding was cut in 2007 The recommendation that working groups be established to monitor technology change has since been followed by Library of Congress and others
Perhaps the most significant and useful contribution of the study is that it situates the particular dilemma
of digital moving images within the broader overall context of digital preservation, such as might pertain to
textual documents Chapter 8: Life Cycle and Organisational Models, ties digital audio-visual best
practices to overall best practices “The OASIS offers a functional model for any digital preservation
….this section is designed to provide practical and useful advice for preservation and curation of
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visual collections” (emphasis added).8 The study identifies best practices for audio-visual materials at each stage of the digital lifecycle approach and applies them to an audio-visual preservation environment The best practices listed thus provide a useful set of instructions that could be used by audio-visual
archivists in discussions with their own IT departments, where applicable
Digital Agenda for European Film Heritage
Key publication: Challenges of the Digital Era for Film Heritage Institutions, 2011
Free online at: http://www.dae-filmheritage.eu/final-study.html
This 150 page report on the implications of a digital environment for film heritage is focused primarily on the film industry and hence its recommendations concerning best practices are limited in application Much of the information confirms findings presented in the key publications produced by the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (The Digital Dilemma and The Digital Dilemma 2), with the, exception of Challenges of the Digital Era for Film Heritage Institutions, which pertains to the European context This
section provides some useful information on calculating the cost of digital moving image preservation.
Erpanet (Electronic Resource and Preservation and Access Network) - Europe
ERPANET was an information network focused on issues of digital preservation at large (not just visual concerns) and was part of the Information Society Technologies (IST) of the European
audio-Commission Although its website has not posted any articles after 2007, the series of guides ( ERPA Guidance) are still quite useful in determining the requirements for long term digital preservation,
including audio-visual material The introduction states that these guidance tools were designed “to enable institutions to approach their digital preservation challenges proactively” ERPANET’s digital preservation policy work is still cited in contemporary publications and reports and is available on Presto Centre.
Key publications: Guides on: Ingest Strategies, Costing Orientation, Selecting Technologies, Digital Preservation Policy, Risk Management
Available online at: http://www.erpanet.org/guidance/index.php
InterPARES (International Research on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems)
InterPARES is a Canadian-funded international study focusing on the authenticity of digital records As stated on its website, the organization “aims at developing the knowledge essential to the long-term preservation of authentic records created and/or maintained in digital form and providing the basis for standards, policies, strategies and plans of action capable of ensuring the longevity of such material and the ability of its users to trust its authenticity.”
8 Digital Moving Image Images and Sound Archiving Study, Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS), 2006, p 92
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One case study focused on the National Film Board, authored by Andrew Rodger of the Library and Archives Canada This can be found at: http://www.interpares.org/display_file.cfm?doc=ip2_cs09-
2_final_report.pdf
More information available at: http://www.interpares.org/
Presto Centre (formerly known as Presto Space) - Europe
http://www.prestocentre.org
Presto Centre provides access to the most up to date research into digital audio-visual preservation in the world today Most research into digital audio-visual heritage sponsored by the European Commission since 2000 has been transferred to Presto Centre which is now the focal point for all current research in the field.
Presto Centre is a European consortium funded by the European Commission for Preservation and Access (ECPA) and major broadcasters, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (UK) and Institut Nationale Audiovisuel (France) Presto Centre describes its mission as “enhancing collaboration between audio-visual content holders; facilitating co-ordinated action in the areas of digitization, digital preservation and long-term access to audio-visual archival content; and serves an international community of stakeholders in audio-visual digitisation and digital preservation through online and offline services, publications and training.”9
The website provides access to past and current research on audio-visual digital preservation, as well as video tutorials and conference proceedings, online guides, wikis, blogs, toolkits, and links to international associations and key publications Presto Centre also co-ordinates conferences and workshops and the Presto Centre online library is both extensive and up to date; it is considered the most complete source for information on audio-visual digitization and preservation
A comprehensive and excellent resource for research into best practices, the Presto Centre library is described on the website as including “documents and tools relevant to all aspects of digital preservation, drawn from many European projects, as well as governmental, industrial, and academic sources The material found here is divided into document-based resources, practical tools, and project descriptions To explore the library material, search by using keywords, browse by content type, or browse and search within the categories below By taking any one of these pathways, you can uncover the information you are looking for in a variety of different ways Providing comments on the pages associated with the material, and suggestions for additional resources, is strongly encouraged.”
Most of Presto Centre’s research tends to be based on the experience and expertise of high-end visual institutions, including broadcasters and national audio-visual heritage centres Although the information and resources are useful for all, its major beneficiaries will be those with adequate resources
audio-to support a digitization program The centre does offer a consultancy service for particular needs.
The Presto Centre Library can be accessed at http://www.prestocentre.org/library
TAPE (Training for Audio-visual Preservation in Europe)
9 www.httt://prestospace.com
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Key publications, both free online at http://www.tape-online.net
Tracking the Reel World: a Survey of Audio-visual Collections in Europe, Edwin Klijn and Yola de
Lusenet, 2008.
Audiovisual Research Collections and their Preservation, Dietrich Schuller, 2008
TAPE has an excellent website with good articles that cover preservation for audio-visual materials found within minority collections, that is, material held outside of major national institutions, those without specific responsibilities for audio-visual heritage TAPE conducted a survey of such collections within Europe (2008), part of a 3-year project funded by the EU under Culture 2000 that produced researched publications and held workshops and meetings focused on the preservation of audio-visual collections
in myriad formats, all of which require specific playback equipment.,
The mission statement reads: “TAPE aims to contribute to action plans for preservation of the visual heritage by laying the groundwork for a programme for awareness-raising and training of non- specialists.” The goal is to provide hands-on training and support materials to allow for both preservation and access to audio-visual material for those places that hold non-commercial audio-visual material and
audio-do not specialize in preservation of or access to such material, including archives, museums and academic institutions
Partners in TAPE included: European Commission on Preservation and Access (ECPA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Finnish Jazz and Pop Archive (JAPA), Helsinki, Finland; The Head Office of State Archives Poland, Warsaw, Poland; Phonogrammarchiv, Austrian Academy of Sciences (PHA(OEAW)), Vienna, Austria; and, Reproduction, Binding and Restoration Centre for the State Archives of Italy (CFLR), Rome, Italy
The consortium published seven items, including the aforementioned and highly significant survey of
minority audio-visual collections in Europe, ‘Tracking the reel world’ Based on data collected from
hundreds of organizations from all over Europe, most of them archives, libraries, museums and research institutes that hold audio-visual recordings as minority collections, this was the first extensive report on preservation and access of sound and moving image materials outside the broadcasting sector and large audio-visual archives
All post-2006 publications are now found on Presto Centre The TAPE website also provides online links
to 170 literature references, resources on preservation and digitisation of audio-visual materials
Audio-visual Heritage Institutions
Library and Archives Canada (LAC)
Available online, LAC has posted the following reports: Audio-visual Migration Strategy, Digital Preservation Strategy, and Local Digital Format Registry They are to also post the Motion Picture Film Digitization Strategy.
Available at: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/preservation/003003-1100-e.html
Library of Congress: National Audiovisual Conservation Center - United States
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The U.S Library of Congress has the largest audio-visual collection in the world and has taken a leadership role into research on both analogue and digital audio-visual preservation and access It established the Audiovisual Working Group in 2008 to “identify, establish, and disseminate information about the standards and practices for the digital reformatting of audio-visual materials by federal agencies The acceptance of a common body of digitization standards and practices will provide the public with products of uniform quality, set common benchmarks for digitization service providers, support content preservation for the long term, and facilitate the exchange of findings from related research.”10More information available on: http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/audio-visual
The Library of Congress seeks to use its research expertise to assist with the application of digital technology to its holdings and to use its experience to further the establishment of best practices and standards Its site is frequently used by those with more advanced experience and expertise in moving
image digital technology Key publication: Sustainability of Digital Moving Formats (includes sound
and moving image) http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/index.shtml
NARA (National Archive & Records Administration) - United States
NARA is recognized for its newsreel and government audio-visual holdings, but its research focus is more
on the overall question of digital preservation for government records NARA has published an article by staff archivist, Steve Greene, which provides an informative historical overview of the challenges of audio- visual preservation from traditional analogue to current digital formats
Key publication: Chasing Technology: The Challenge of Preserving Audiovisual Records
http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2007/summer/technology.html
National Film Preservation Foundation (NFPF) - United States
Key publication free on line at: http://filmpreservation.org/preservation-basics/the-film-preservation-guide
Film Preservation Guide, National Film Preservation Foundation, 2004.
This book is universally acknowledged and cited by heritage professionals as the source for best practices in film preservation; it was the winner of the 2005 Preservation Award granted by the Society of American Archivists As noted in the book’s introduction, its aim is to provide “the primer for professionals trained in archival studies, librarianship or museum work, or subject field but unschooled in this technical speciality….[it] introduces film preservation to non-profit and public institutions that have collections of motion picture film but lack information of how to take care of them.”11
While focusing on hands-on preservation, the guide also covers acquisition and access and includes comments on donor agreements and licencing (although the section on copyright is predictably based on
US practice) It also has advice for equipment and technical services, though these are out-dated
10 www.http://libraryofcongress.gov
11 Film Preservation Guide, National Film Preservation Foundation, 2004, p vii