ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C SR L News ■ Septem ber 2003 / 529 I N T E R N E T R E S O U R C E S Nonprint media preservation A guide to resources on the Web by Katherine Pennavaria M agn etic tap e is ju st a d isa ster f o r a n a rch iv a l storag e m ed iu m .— “Into die Future” 1 Do you know what the average shelf life of standard VHS videotape is? Ten to fifteen years. For CDs, the shelf life is yet unknown the best estimates don’t go beyond 100 years. A book printed on acid-free paper will last 500 years or more, but for audiovisual media, the picture is truly sobering. The preservation o f film, CDs, and tapes is a problem almost all libraries have. Everyone wants to ensure the preservation of these recordings— the question is how. Well, every library that owns film and tapes can do something. Armed with suf­ ficient information, librarians and their staff can at least improve the state o f their nonprint collec­ tions, even if they cannot rescue them from their inevitable obsolescence. To this end, I offer here an overview of Web resources. N ote: The topic of ongoing digitization to pre­ serve materials is outside the scope o f this list of resources, but because it is related, I give a few references on this topic at the end o f the article, including one that considers the validity of digiti­ zation as a preservation method. G en eral re so u rce s • American LibraryA ssociation: Preservati P olicy. The ALA policy is essentially based on its goal o f ensuring that “every person has access to information at the time needed and in a usable format.” This policy statement (revised in 2001) , bu on covers the preservation of digital infoimation. Access: http://www.ala.org/Content/ContentGroups/ At LCTSl/PublicationslO/Web_Publications/ P reservation 3/ A L A _P reservation _P olicy/ ALA_Preservation_Policy.htm. • “In to th e Fu tu re: On th e P reservation Knowledge in th e Electronic Age.” If you need a wake-up call about the problem of nonprint in­ formation storage, order and watch a video called “Into the Future” (1997) by Terry Sanders. Funded by the Commission on Preservation and Access and the American Council o f Learned Societies, this one-hour show presents incontrovertible evi­ dence that digital and tape storage methods, which vary widely and are often incompatible with each other, are on a fast track to disaster. Digital data, which comprises today almost all government and institutional information, requires some kind of application to read it, and tape requires special machines. The question asked here is, will those applications and machines be around in 100 years? This powerful video can be ordered from the pro­ ducers, the American Film Foundation, at their site. A ccess: http:.//www.americanfilmfoundation. com/order/into_the_future.html. o f About the author Katherine Pennavaria is the coordinator o f Western Kentucky University’s extended campus library in Glasgow, Kentucky, e- mail: k.pennavaria@wku.edu http://www.ala.org/Content/ContentGroups/ http://www.americanfilmfoundation mailto:k.pennavaria@wku.edu 530/C&RL News ■ Septem ber2003 • Jim Lindner: “M agnetic Tape D eteriora­ tion .” In this article, which originally appeared in the February 1996 issue o f V ideo magazine, Lindner gives his views on the subject of tape de­ terioration. Lindner is a major player in the video­ tape restoration game. As a result of his continu­ ing efforts in this field (he testified as a witness and panel member for the Library o f Congress study on videotape preservation), Lindner founded Vidipax, a company dedicated to videotape resto­ ration (see Preservation Services). His manner of expressing himself is vivacious and effective: “Like so many lemming leaping off a cliff, hopeful tech­ nicians continue the search for a single ‘Holy Grail’ cleaning solution for master recordings.” A ccess: http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/lindner/ tidal.html. • Jo hn W. C VanBogart: “Magnetic Tape Stor­ age and Handling—A Guide fo r Libraries and A rchives.” This 1995 report, a joint project of the Commission on Preservation and Access and the National Media Laboratory, was developed within the Commission’s Preservation Science Research initiative. The initiative “encourages new techniques and technologies to manage chemical deterioration in library and archival collections and to extend their useful life.” The report is somewhat techni­ cal, but includes some excellent illustrations and should be required reading for all audiovisual li­ brarians. A ccess: http://www.clir.org/pubs/re ports/pub54/index.html. O rgan ization s • A ssociation o f Moving Im age A rchivists (AMIA). AMIA fosters cooperation among indi­ viduals and organizations concerned with the pres­ ervation, among other things, of moving images materials. They publish a quarterly newsletter and maintain a discussion list (see Journals and also D isc u s sio n L ists). A c c e s s : http://w w w . amianet.org/. • A ssociation fo r R ecorded Sound Collec­ tio n s (A RSC). An international organization dedicated to fostering discussion on the sub­ ject o f recorded sound, ARSC publishes a bi­ annual journal (see Online Journals) and a mem­ bership directory, and holds an annual confer­ ence. They also maintain a discussion list (see D iscussion Lists). A ccess: http://www.arsc audio.org/. • C on servation O n lin e. A major conserva tion and preservation site th a t s h o u ld b e in everyone’s bookmarks. CoOL, a project o f the P reservation D ep a rt­ m ent o f Stanford Uni­ versity Libraries, is a “full-text library o f con­ servation information.” Many o f the links that appear in this article are available through CoOL. A ccess: http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/. • Image Perm anence Institute. A not-for-profi lab at the Rochester Institute of Technology, co­ sponsored by the Society for Imag­ ing Science and Technology. They do collection sur­ veys and consult­ ing, among other things, and offer a free “preservation calculator” at their site. A ccess: http://www.rit.edu/ ~661ww w l /. • National Film P reservationB o ard A 198 Act o f Congress established this board, which is charged with defining the issues confronting film preservation in the United States. Their exhaus­ tive and detailed reports are in the following files: study.html and tvstudy.html. A ccess: http:// lcweb.loc.gov/frlm/. Video • E rich K esse: “A rchival Copies o f Video Tapes.” A policy and procedure statement from the University of Florida, useful as a template for developing your own policies. A ccess: http:// p a lim p sest.sta n fo rd .ed u / b y a u th / k esse/ kessvid.html. • Sarah Stauderman: “Choosing a Videotape Preservation Form at: Some Rules to liv e By.” This video contains some good advice to follow when you begin the process of transferring video from one format to another. A ccess: http:// palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/abbey/an/an22/ an22-6/an22-606.html. • Jim Lindner: “Confessions o f a Videotape Restorer.” This is a short article that first appeared in the AMIA N ewsletter. As he does in his article subtitled “Tidal Wave at Our Shores” (see Gen­ eral Resources), Lindner inveighs against the idea ­ t 8 http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/lindner/ http://www.clir.org/pubs/re- http://www http://www.arsc- http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/ http://www.rit.edu/ C&RL News ■ Septem ber 2003 / 531 of a “magic bullet” answer to the problem of tape deterioration. Access.- http://palimpsest.stanford. edu/byauth/lindner/lindnerl ‚html. •Jim W heeler: “The Dos an d D on’ts ofVid eotap e C are.” A short, emphatic list that can be printed and posted for all collection staff mem­ bers who deal with videotape. Most of the advice is familiar, but some items may not have occurred to collection managers, such as, “Before recording or storing non-consumer archival tapes, shuttle the tape to the end and back.” Access-, http:// palim psest.stanford.edu/byauth/w heeler/ wheeler3.html. • Jim Lindner: “The P rop er Care and Feed­ ing o f V ideotape.” No-nonsense advice from the experienced Lindner that includes, “Know when you need professional help.” A ccess: http:// palim psest.stanford.edu/byauth/lindner/ lindner3.html. • CoOL: “Video P reservation .” This site has fact sheets and links to a number of video preser­ vation services. A ccess: http://palimpsest. stanford.edu/bytopic/video/index.html. • Jim Lindner: “V ideotape R estoration — W here Do I Start?” Lindner’s advice comes from his three decades of experience working with vid­ eotapes in all conditions. He includes a checklist for establishing which tapes should be restored first. A ccess: http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/ lindner/lindner2.html. A u d io •JohnR . Gibbs: “Audio Preservation and Res­ to ra tio n .” From the University o f Washington Music Library. This site has an excellent bibliogra­ phy with many active links to online articles. It in­ cludes information about film and video preser­ vation and offers links to preservation service com­ panies such as Vidipax and Henson Productions (both described in Preservation Services). A ccess: h ttp :/ / w w w .lib.w ash in g ton .ed u / M u sic/ preservation.html. • National Parks Service: “C are o f A rchival C om pact D iscs.” Originally appeared as Septem­ ber 1996 C onserv e O G ram , a technical newslet­ ter published by the NPS. Includes a printable list of dos and don’ts, which appear in table form. This newsletter is also available at the NPS C onserve O G ram page; it is number 19.19. A ccess: http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/ conseıveogram/cons_toc.html. • Andy McFadden’s C D-Recordable FAQ. A regularly updated, comprehensive (it would take 11 pages to print) presentation on the subject, which was originally developed (and is still maintained) as a Usenet newsgroup FAQ. Go here first for answers to just about any question related to CDs or CD-ROMs. A ccess: http://www.cdrfaq.org/. • Conservation O n lin e “Preservation o f Au­ d io M aterials.” A good first stop, with many re­ source links and a thorough bibliography. Access: http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/audio/ index.html. M otion p ictu re s and e le ctro n ic m edia • CoOL: “P reserv atio n o f M otion P ictu re Film ” and “E lectron ic Storage Media.” Detailed lists o f resources from a prominent preservation site (s e e O rg an izatio n s). A c c e ss : http:// palim psest.stanford .ed u/bytopic/m otion- pictures/ and http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/ bytopic/electronic-records/electronic-storage- media/. • National Parks Servci e Conserve O Grams. In addition to “Care o f Archival Compact Discs” (see Audio), I recommend the following two Con­ serv e O G ram s: “Preservation o f Magnetic Me­ dia” (19.8) and “Care of Archival Digital and Mag n e t ic M e d ia ” ( 1 9 - 2 0 ) . A c c e s s : http:// w w w .cr.n p s.g ov / m u seu m / p u b lication s/ conserveogram/cons_toc.html. O nline jo u rn a ls • The A bbey N ew sletter. By Abbey Publi­ cations, a not-for-profit corporation set up to encourage preserva­ tion o f library and ar­ chival materials. They do not sp ecialize in audiovisual material, but occasio n ally do pu blish articles re­ lated to that topic (see Bibliographies). A c­ cess: http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/ abbey/an/. • ARSC Jo u m a l Published by the Association for Recorded Sound Collections. Only a table of contents listing for current and back issues is avail­ able online. A ccess: http://www.arsc-audio.org/ publications.html#journal. • International Preservation News. A news- letter of the International Federation of Library Association (IFLA) Preservation and Conservation committee (PAC). It reports on the preservation activities and events that support efforts to pre­ serve materials in the world’s libraries and archives. http://palimpsest.stanford http://palimpsest http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/ http://www.lib.washington.edu/Music/ http://www.cr http://www.cdrfaq.org/ http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/audio/ http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/ http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/ http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/ http://www.arsc-audio.org/ 532 / C&RL News ■ September 2003 Available online back to 1997. A ccess: http:// www.ifla.org/VI/4/ipn.html. • Jo u rn a l o f Film P reservation. Published semiannually by FI AF Brussels, this journal pro­ vides a forum for discussion on all theoretical and technical aspects of moving image archival activi­ ties, and is available in PDF files from 1995 to the present. A ccess: http://www.fiafnet.org/uk/pub- lications/. B ib lio g ra p h ie s and resource lists • “D irectory o f Inform ation Sources on Sci­ entific Research Related to th e Preservation o f Sound Recordings, Still and Moving Images and M agnetic Tape.” A long listing of organizations that can assist libraries with preservation o f re­ cordings, compiled by Maigaret Child for the Com­ mission on Preservation and Access in 1993. (See http://www.clir.oig/pubs/cpanews/cpanews.html for further info on CPA). This list includes some of the organizations given here, though it does not include Web addresses. Access: http://palimpsest. stanford.edu/byauth/child/dirsound.html. • Library o f Congress: Magnetic Media Pres- ervation—Selected Bibliography. A short list of print publications, which appeared in 1990. A c­ cess: http://www.loc.gov/ preserv/bib/magbib. html. Co m m ercial p rese rvatio n services • Henson Productions. Tape duplication and transfer are among their services. A ccess: http:// www.hensonproducdons.coni/. • Vidipax. Jim Lindner’s company, as described above in General Resources. Vidipax bills itself, rather grandiosely, as “the largest and most ad­ vanced magnetic media restoration company in the world.” At its site it offers video and audio format guides, and an extensive list of Web resources. A c­ cess: http://www.vidipax.com/. D iscussio n lists • AMLA-L. For ongoing discussions about film and video, you can join this e-mail discussion list sponsored by the Association of Moving Image Archivists. Messages deal with all aspects of mov­ ing images, including preservation. Subscription is open to the public. To subscribe, send an e-mail to listserv@lsv.uky.edu and write “subscribe AMIA-L [your name]” in the message body. Access: http:// www.amianet.oig/09_Listserv/amiaL.html. • AV-M edia-M atters. CoOl (see Organiza­ tions) sponsors this moderated discussion list devoted to the preservation of audiovisual mate­ rials. Subscription instructions are on the site. A c­ cess: http://www.topica.com/lists/AV-Media- Matters/. Con clu sio n I have focused here on resources that can help in the storage and restoration of media materi­ als. To cover thoroughly the subject o f digitiz­ ing as a means o f preservation would require a separate article. Digitization is very much a plausible option for preserving images and sounds, but it is not the only solution, and may not be the best one for your library or archive. Format obsolescence is a fact o f life, however, so you’ll have to deal with data transfer at some point. If you are considering digitization on a large scale, here are some resources that might help. • “Digital Preservation Needs and Require­ m ents in RLG M ember Institutions.” This thor­ ough and extensive 1998 study, written by Marga­ ret Hedstrom and Sheon Montgomery, is available in PDF or HTML. A ccess: http://www.rlg.org/ preserv/digpres.html. • “Guides to Quality in Visual Resource Im ­ aging.” A joint project between RLG and the Digi­ tal Library Federation, published in 2000 and of­ fered only on the Web, this extensive publication is intended to be a Web-based reference created by experts in the art and science of digital imaging of visual resources (original photographs, prints, drawings, maps, etc.). It is designed to serve any organization considering digital conversion. A c­ cess: http://www.rlg.org/visguides/. • Jim Lindner: “Digitization Reconsidered” In his customary colorful language, Lindner de­ fines and discusses digitization, and concludes, “The solution is to have a strategy that does not count on one technology (either digital or analog) or technique.” A ccess: http://palimpsest.stanford. edu/byauth/lindner/digirecon‚html. Note 1. Terry Sanders, “Into the Future: On the Pres ervation o f Knowledge in the Electronic Age” (1997), funded by the Commission on Preserva­ tion and Access and the American Council of Learned Societies. ■ ­ http://www.ifla.org/VI/4/ipn.html http://www.fiafnet.org/uk/pub- http://www.cfr.oig/pubs/cpanews/cpanews.html http://palimpsest http://www.loc.gov/ http://www.hensonproducdons.coni/ http://www.vidipax.com/ mailto:listserv@lsv.uky.edu http://www.amianet.oig/09_Listserv/amiaL.html http://www.topica.com/lists/AV-Media- http://www.rlg.org/ http://www.rlg.org/visguides/ http://palimpsest.stanford