1. University of Illinois Campus Media Census
Joshua Harris
Media Preservation Coordinator
University of Illinois Libraries

2. Introduction Library Media Preservation Unit: Center for Multimedia
Started in Fall 2011
First programmatic approach within library focused on preservation of analog media formats.
Center for Multimedia
Excellence (CME)
Bringing media
professionals together

3. What is the media census?
2 phased study of campus media landscape
Goal: To determine the extent of audiovisual holdings across entire IL campus
Collect reliable data on the extent of “at risk” media both within and outside of library system
To determine Libraries’ role in media preservation across campus

4. What is the media census?
Census data hoped to:
Serve as a foundation for establishing an accepted timeframe for the lifespan of these assets.
Provide basis of planning for short-term and long-term conservation, storage, and digital migration.

5. What is the media census?
Census data hoped to:
Assist in planning for possible library provided services campus-wide.
Help identify and highlight prominent collections of particular cultural or research value.

6. Census Phase I
Self-reporting, web-based survey designed to collect broad, basic information about departmental media holdings.
legacy analog media formats, still images, and born digital materials.
Goal: define a population of audiovisual collections on campus
responses gathered from 404 individuals, representing 165 departments

7. Census Phase II Designed to study a more-defined but deeper population
Focused exclusively on analog audiovisual formats and their digital derivatives.
Represented a population with a high degree of obsolete or obsolescent formats and playback devices (the most “at risk” collection types).

8. Census Phase II (con’t)
On-site, in person interviews to gather the following:
Counts and basic preservation assessments of time-based, physical audiovisual carriers only.
Assessment of the storage environments
Counts and format types of digital derivatives from analog sources.

9. Census Phase II (con’t)
On-site, in person interviews to gather the following:
Counts of audiovisual equipment, and identification of Illinois staff with audiovisual experience
Identification of cataloging protocols (or lack thereof)
Identification of emeriti/faculty collections with high likelihood of moving into the University’s possession
Evaluation of “unique” vs. “rare” vs. “commercial”

10. How did we get people to respond?
Outreach:
Mass s
Targeted s / phone calls using Phase I data as a guide
Media Preservation Brochure
Campus-wide announcements
Postings on various list-servs (including message from Dean of Libraries)
References and word-of-mouth (interview question)

11. Results
As expected: Analog media of wide-ranging formats found campus-wide
Wide ranging storage conditions from purpose built media vaults to moldy basements

12. Results
Content of high value and importance (often at discretion of subject specialists)
Extreme variation in approaches to digital migration
Although census “officially closed”…People keep coming out of the woodwork.

13. Results

14. Results

15. Results
~400,000*

16. Statistical Analysis
Consultation with Department of Statistics: confidence interval for “potentially missing” departments? (105 of 735 depts).
Impossible due to bias in Phase I and II
Benefits to this approach
ID of assets in need of immediate triage
more accurate counts of all or most collections held by audiovisual producing departments
wider communication of the goals of the media census and future preservation services

17. Challenges Validation of Phase I divisions
Navigating IL divisional landscape and structure
Access to collections ie. “getting in the door.”
Time spent making contact
Wide ranging knowledge of collections: contacts ranged from archivists to facility managers

18. Possible Outcomes Short Term:
Immediate triage of problematic collections found during census
Departments spurred into action through census meetings (Landscape Architecture)
Immediate, on-site consulting conducted during site visits

19. Possible Outcomes Media Preservation Studio:
Campus data will guide supported formats and design
Design will need to be scalable and sustainable if lab is to service campus needs (currently no campus reformatting service available).
Studio as a “learning lab.”

20. Possible Outcomes
Can provide cross campus expertise and consultancy in the following areas:
Collection inventories, content analysis and preservation assessments
Storage and maintenance of physical collections (triage if needed)
Development of policies and procedures
Development of plans for financial (internal or external) and human resources: Report to go to campus administration
Advocacy and outreach
In house vs. Out-sourced migration projects
Access mechanisms and workflow design

21. Possible Outcomes
Clearly defined need for preservation level storage for both library and campus media assets.

22. Possible Outcome: Institutional Collaboration?
Regional centers of expertise
Regional/State preservation services (CIC, CARLI)
Pooling of resources: umbrella contracts with vendors
Development of cross-institutional standards, strategize common workflows
Template for further institutional
surveys
Collaborative access points

23. The Census & The LOC National Recording Preservation Plan
“Recommendation 2.2: Appraisal of Audio Collections for Preservation” effectively describes the Media Census
The census accomplished:
a real count of assets across the campus.
assessment of their storage environments.
knowledge of the ownership and provenance of the assets (to a strong degree).
location of legacy equipment for the lab.
elevated awareness of media preservation on the UIUC campus,
identification and triage for the most at risk collections, and data to rank the remaining assets and collections.

24. The Census & The LOC National Recording Preservation Plan
“Recommendation 1.3: Digital Storage" and “Recommendation 2.5: Metadata Standards for Digital Audio Files”
Creating a robust digital storage environment via Medusa
This requires creation of metadata standards specific to the collections within the library, and ideally transferable to collections across the UIUC campus
“Recommendation 1.1: Recorded Sound Storage Facilities”
On/near campus cold storage? Off site cold storage for campus?

25. The Census & The LOC National Recording Preservation Plan
“Recommendation 1.4: University Courses and Degree Programs”
Creating graduate assistant positions in media and digital preservation
Media Preservation studio as a learning lab. Potential for collaboration with other universities and programs.

26. Thanks!!! Josh Harris Media Preservation 217.244.8555