1. Preserving & Realizing Your Diocesan Legacy Audiovisual Collection
Jon-Erik Gilot, MLIS ACDA Meeting August 19, 2015 Cleveland, Ohio

2. Part I – Why Digitize? Identifying Your Audiovisual Assets Planning for Digitization
Part II – Case Study: Digitizing the Audiovisual Archives of Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy

3. “Benign Neglect is Not A Preservation Strategy”
- Joshua Ranger, AVPS October 2012

4. Magnetic Tape Composition
Issues:
Binder Deterioration
Lubricant Loss
Magnetic Instability
Source – clir.org

5. Life Expectancy Definition:
The length of time a tape may be archived until it will fail to playback.
Contributing Factors:
Frequency of Access
Care When Handling
Storage Climate/Conditions
Source: caps-project.org

6. Obsolescence, Inaction = $$
Cost of Inaction Calculator:
Issues:
Machine Obsolescence
Decreasing Field of Qualified Analog Engineers
Increased cost of inaction
Source: avpreserve.com

7. Caring For Your Collection
Proper Storage Environment
Approx 50°-60°/40-50%rH
Minimal exposure to light
Away from radiators, vents, sources of vibration and magnetic fields.
Store like sizes together, if possible
Proper Handling
Clean hands
Do not touch playing surface
Think before you play!
Source: avpreserve.com
Proper Identification
Give each tape a unique ID
Inventory

8. Formats You May Encounter
Audio
Early grooved disc, wire and belt recordings
Mid-century open face reel, magnetic tape – multiple tape sizes, tracks
Later cassette, digital
Video
Early open reel formats – broadcast and consumer
Wide range of cassette formats – Various sizes, speeds
Later digital formats

9. Grooved Discs Various sizes – 7 – 18 inches Various substrates –
Aluminum
Steel
Glass Cardboard
Various Speeds –
33RPM
45RPM
78RPM
Issues –
Delamination
Palmitic/Stearic Acid
Source: archives.gov
Source: hoover.org

10. Grooved Belts Found from 1940s – 1980
Used almost exclusively for dictation
Typically plastic belts or discs
Various colors (indicator of age)
Issues –
Flexibility
Folds/creases
Staples
Obsolete equipment
Source: obsoletemedia.org
Source: archives.gov

11. Wire Recordings 1940s – 1960s era Commonly 3 ½ inches diameter
Used in dictation, interviews, live recording
Low audio quality
Issues –
Easily tangles/nests
Obsolete Equipment
Source: archives.gov
Source: nyu.edu

12. Open Reel ¼ Audio Tape 1930s – 1990s
Reels vary in size from 5 – 10.5 inches
Speed may vary from 3.75ips – 30ips
Ability to record multiple tracks
Tape base may be –
Acetate
Polyester
PVC
Paper
Issues –
Poor Packing
Rogue Splices
Soft Binder Syndrome
Mold
Equipment Obsolescence
Source: archives.gov
Source: nyu.edu

13. Cassette Formats 1960s – 2000s Polyester Tape Base Low-fidelity
Runtime anywhere from 60 – 180 minutes
Issues –
Mold
Soft Binder Syndrome
Broken Shell
Audio Drop Out (DAT)
Equipment Obsolescence
Source: wikipedia.com
Source: grinnell.edu
Source: archives.gov

14. Video Reel Formats – 2”, 1”, ½”
2” & 1” were broadcast formats
2” – 1950s – 1970s
1” – 1970s – 1990s
½” was a consumer-grade format
1960s – 1980s
Issues –
Soft Binder Syndrome
Mold
Extreme Obsolescence (2” & ½”)
Source: archives.gov
Source: archives.gov
Source: lib.standford.edu

15. Video Cassette Formats
Earliest Broadcast Format – ¾” U-Matic
1970s – 1980s
Early Consumer Formats – Betamax & VHS
1970s – 1990s
Later Beta/Digibeta – still found in use
1990s
Various other formats
DI, DII – Broadcast Video8, Hi8, Digital8 – consumer
DVCPro/Cam/miniDV, HD – still in use s
Issues – Obsolescence (3/4” U-Matic, VHS) Soft Binder Syndrome (3/4” U-Matic, VHS) Mold Compressed content (later digital formats) Fragile tape (later formats)
Source: archives.gov

16. Planning Your Digitization Project
Inventory Your Collection!
Unique ID
Format Type
Generation
Content/Date
Runtime
Actual/Max
Any Issues – Mold, Damage, etc.
Identify Vendor(s)
RFP (If Desired/Required)
Capabilities In Line With Needs
Experience With Formats
Deliverables
References
Expect the Unexpected
Problem Tapes
Misidentified Content
File Issues
Identify Priorities!
Lifespan
Value of Content
Intended Use/Audience
Budget
Apply to Future Projects
What Worked/What Didn’t?
Make Friends With IT!
Identify File Types/Sizes
File Naming Convention
Metadata Needs
Storage & Backup
Accessibility
Time Commitment

17. Questions?
Thank You!
Jon-Erik Gilot, MLIS ACDA Meeting August 19, 2015 Cleveland, Ohio