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
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 1
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.digitizationguidelines.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

1
2
Data must be backed up after any changes have been made to the handling or migration of
information; and,
p. 54
p. 46
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 2

Data must be duplicated to enable storage in different geographic locations.
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.
3
4
p. 62
p. 55
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 3
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 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.amianet.org/resources/guides/WheelerVideo.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.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 4
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/
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.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 5
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
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.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 6
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.
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 audiovisual 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
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 http://www.mediamatters.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.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 7
MIC (Moving Image Collections) - United States
http://gondolin.rutgers.edu/MIC/
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 Co-ordinating Council of Audio-visual Archive Associations and provides an organizational
model for other regions.
5
6
7
See website: http://gondolin.rutgers.edu/MIC/
Ibid.
It should also be noted that MIC offers a Preservation Portal, which links to a vast number of resources.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 8
Key publication available free online at http://archives.pia.gov.ph/seapavaa/: Basic Manual on Setting
Up an Archive,
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: http://www.ahds.ac.uk/about/projects/archiving-studies/moving-images-sound-archivingfinal.pdf
A detailed and major research publication, Digital Moving Images and Sound 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
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 9
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 audiovisual 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 audiovisual concerns) and was part of the Information Society Technologies (IST) of the European
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.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 10
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_cs092_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 audiovisual 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
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
9
www.httt://prestospace.com
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 11
TAPE (Training for Audio-visual Preservation in Europe)
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 audiovisual heritage by laying the groundwork for a programme for awareness-raising and training of nonspecialists.” 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
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
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 12
Library of Congress: National Audiovisual Conservation Center - United States
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.” 10
More 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 audiovisual 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
10
11
www.http://libraryofcongress.gov
Film Preservation Guide, National Film Preservation Foundation, 2004, p. vii
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 13
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.
See also the entry for Folkstreams, a website that produced online video tutorials designed as a training
companion to the Film Preservation Guide.
National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) - Australia
http://www.nfsa.gov.au/
The National Film and Sound Archive - Australia (NFSA) is a valuable source for best practices in moving
image and sound archiving in terms of applicability to the Canadian context. The NFSA shares a similar
legal, legislative and even demographic profile to that of Canada and is widely accepted as the model of
what a national audio-visual archive can and should be. Recognized throughout the world as an
organization that establishes leading practices, this archive has developed a progressive acquisition
program by which it acquires materials posted on YouTube.
Key Publications: The NFSA has recently published (2011) two documents that are useful: Preservation
Strategy 2010-2012 and Collections Policy. These documents can be accessed at:
http://www.nfsa.gov.au/about/information-publication-scheme (see “Developing the Collection”)
Preservation Strategy breaks down the holdings of the NFSA into material categories (analogue film,
video and sound), and also separates out the digital holdings 12 yet the overall strategic principles and
goals applies to all. Attachment B from Preservation Strategy provides a very useful chart that contains
detailed digitisation standards for audio, still images, video and film, all of which could be cited as best
practice in these areas. Interestingly the section on film is blank (as of March 2012) and cited as “under
development”.
The Collections Policy document is both recent and detailed (53 pp.). It covers acquisition and
preservation, plus access and outreach policy. Of particular interest is a segment on de-selection, which
details policies and procedures that could be used for establishing priorities for digitization and potential
de-accessioning. The document also has considerable detail on acquisition by deposit, which could be
considered a best practice for those institutions that still accept materials under deposit agreements. 13
Risk management can be applied as an overall management approach to all policies, but also specifically
in terms of disaster preparedness for archival holdings. This is touched upon throughout both documents,
and is used both generally (can be applied to any policy) and specifically (pest control and disaster
preparedness).
NFSA has also produced an excellent preservation resource, the Film Preservation Handbook, which is
available free on line at : http://nfsa.gov.au/preservation/handbook This handbook covers the same
terrain as the National Film Preservation Foundation’s Film Preservation Guide, but often in more detail.
The Australian handbook is focused strictly on aspects of preservation and includes useful advice on
technical and physical details, including cold storage.
12
13
See p. 6-9.
See p. 11-12.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 14
Finally, the NFSA also has a very useful online guide entitled “Tracking down the Copyright Holder: Hints
and Tips” which, although written in the Australian context, provides advice that might be adapted to other
countries and therefore could be considered a best practice guideline. Note also that the policies and
procedures outlined are scalable to different sizes and types of organizations.
National Information Standards Organization – United States
Key publication free online at: http://www.niso.org/publications/rp/framework3.pdf
A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections, 3rd edition, National Information
Standards Organization, 2007.
This is a detailed, only somewhat dated (2007), yet incredibly thorough exploration of good practices
relating to digital collections in general, but is not specific to audio-visual material. The study is targeted at
large size libraries and provides a list of eight common sense guides for building good digital collections,
all of which are then grounded through references to published standards literature (web addresses
provided for each). The section on intellectual property rights (pg. 13) is likewise very useful.
Media Art Organizations and Museum Consortiums
BAVC (Bay Area Video Collective) - United States
Key publications: Playback (2003 DVD) + Glossary of Terms – http://bavc.org
BAVC is the largest non-profit media art organization in the United States. The centre offers consultation
and constructive methodology on the following: Archival Collection Assessment, Preservation Planning
and Cataloguing and Metadata. In 2003, BAVC produced a DVD called PLAYBACK: A Preservation
Primer for Video, which discusses the causes of videotape deterioration, recommendations for effective
methods of storage and cleaning, and other conservation issues that apply to electronic art. They also
produced a Glossary of Terms to help standardize the terminology used in video preservation, and so as
to also allow practitioners to better identify the deterioration of magnetic videotape. BAVC compiled their
Glossary from both academic scholarship and scientific literature and it contains a bibliography of books,
brochures and articles that were consulted in order to produce the succinct terms.
BAVC began operating a preservation service in 2004; The Pamela and Richard Kramlich Audio
Preservation Center allows non-profit organizations, museums, artists and musicians to work with fragile
media art materials and it is committed to preserving the heritage contained both within the works and of
the art form. Preservation Services lists client consultation, and cleaning and archival transfer of analogue
videotape formats, including 1/2" Open Reel, 3/4" U-matic and U-matic SP, VHS Tapes, 3/4, Hi-8, Video8,
S-VHS/ VHS, Betamax, MiniDV. The Preservation Centre can transfer to physical carrier formats
including: Digital Betacam, DV Cam, Betacam SP, 3/4", SVHS/VHS, or DVD. They also offer archival
transfer to digital files with associated metadata. It also offers logged documentation of signal
imperfection, Image/Audio correction, and, some additional services, including restoration and title slates.
BAVC Preservation rates are low because they are subsidized with support from the National Endowment
from the Arts, individual donors and other funders.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 15
DOCAM Research Alliance (Documentation + Conservation of Media Art Heritage) - Canada
The DOCAM Research Alliance existed between 2005- 2010; it was an international research platform
established within the Daniel Langlois Foundation. DOCAM fostered international partnerships that have
produced key preservation and access information, primarily focused on media art with a museum focus.
A number of papers remain critically important to the ongoing research and development of preservation
initiatives for media art.
An excellent archive of the research can be found via: www.fondation-langlois.org, or www.docam.ca
EAI (Experimental Arts Intermix) - United States
A video art preservation pioneer that encompasses analogue and digital materials, EAI supports the
creation, exhibition, distribution and preservation of video art and digital art. It was founded in 1971 as
one of the first non-profit organizations in the United States that was dedicated to the support of video as
an art form; EAI has thus played a pioneering role in the history of media art. It continues to foster the
creation, exhibition, distribution and preservation of video art and digital art projects. 14
EAI has a collection of video art that spans from the mid-1960s to the present and is recognized as one of
the most comprehensive video art collections in the world. 15 In 1973, the Artists' Videotape Distribution
Service was established to promote and expand video-based art internationally. EAI then undertook a
pioneering initiative that began to catalogue the works in the media art collection in preparation for their
conservation; In 1986, the EAI Preservation Program began actively restoring and archiving the
collection; it was one of the first such programs in that addressed the preservation needs of an
independently housed video art collection of great significance, in order to keep the work in circulation.
EAI has collaborated with IMAP on Preservation projects; of interest is the EAI Archives Online.
For more information, go to: http://www.eai.org
Experimental TV Centre – United States
Key online initiatives: Video History Project and Video Preservation Basics
Available at: http://www.experimentaltvcenter.org/history/index.html
The Video History Project began in 1994 and was intent on becoming a conduit for what was called ‘an
inclusive media history’ that would allow ongoing access to electronic media art and all connected
materials that might create what archivists call a fonds. The Experimental TV Centre wanted to provide
access to such research materials for a wide cultural community and thus, increase awareness of
independent media artworks while building alliances. The organization has a strong educational focus.
The Video History Project fostered several initiatives, including research, conferences and the
14
Detailed information on the early years of EAI and the video art movement has been documented as A Kinetic History: The
EAI Archives Online.
15
The works in the collection range from seminal videos by pioneering figures—Nam June Paik, Bruce Nauman, Martha Rosler
and Joan Jonas—to new digital works by emerging artists, including Seth Price, Paper Rad, Cory Arcangel and Takeshi Murata.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 16
construction of the Experimental Television Centre website, which is now expansive. It also produced one
of the first extensive video preservation research reports, which is available online.16
Film Forever – United States
Key publication: The Home Film Preservation Guide for Independent Filmmakers.
This is a hands-on guidance to do-it-yourself film preservation with a 12-part guide that includes:
Resources and Links; Glossary of Terms; Frequently Asked Questions on Amateur and Small Gauge
Film; Standards and Guidelines for Film and Videotape; FAQs on Video Format Preservation; a Video
Preservation Fact Sheet; and, a link to the much referenced Videotape Preservation Handbook, written by
Jim Wheeler.
Available free online at: http://www.filmforever.org or through links to the AMIA website: www.amianet.org
Folkstreams (see also National Film Preservation Foundation) - United States
Video Aids to Film Preservation, Folkstreams, 2005.
The Folkstream production of Video Aids to Film Preservation, was produced as a visual guide, to the
Film Preservation Guide, which was itself produced by the National Film Preservation Foundation in
2004. Video Aids to Film Preservation is essentially a series of video clips that are organized by the same
title and chapter headings that are outlined in Film Preservation Guide; the two sources are intended to
be used together and the widely quoted Guide has definitely been further strengthened by these online
tutorials.
Although essentially intended for the preservation of film, Folkstreams’ Video Aids to Film Preservation
also includes sections on the preservation of analogue audio and video cassette tapes, which would be
useful for most institutions or smaller organizations that have collections comprised from these formats; it
addresses 8mm,16mmm, and 35mm film, as well as common video and cassette formats. It is important
to note that the Folkstreams video aids are useful to a wide range of organizations, and could therefore
be considered scalable.
The Folkstream Guide to Best Practices in Film Digitization (2010), addresses workflow and access
issues and is also available free online at: http://www.folkstreams.net/vafp
IMAP (Independent Media Art Preservation) - United States
Key publication: Preservation 101 Toolkit
Available free online at: http://www.imappreserve.org
An international resource for preservation of independent electronic media collections; the Preservation
101 Tool Kit (created in partnership with EAI), addresses film, audio, video and digital. The website links
16
IMAP refers to EAI (Electronic Arts Intermix), and ETC (Experimental Television Center), as collaborators in the
documentation and preservation of video art and community television.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 17
to Information Resources, including ECPA, CoOL, BAVC, AMIA, ScreenSound Australia, and the
Universal Preservation Format Glossary.
IMAP, the Independent Media Arts Preservation, Inc., was born out of a recognized need for a single
organization to take the lead in advocating and providing information for the preservation of independent
media. It was evident to members of the media arts community, the performing and visual arts
communities, and the fields of conservation, archival and library sciences, that there was a dearth of
ritical information available, and the resources necessary to save culturally important moving image
artworks simply did not exist.17
IMAP is a non-profit service, education and advocacy organization committed to the preservation of noncommercial electronic media, particularly work housed outside of large and established organizations or
archives. Originally a NYC-based consortium of arts organizations, IMAP is now a national resource that
addresses diverse media collections found in institutions, organizations, and also with individuals, be they
collectors or artists themselves. “IMAP provides archivists, artists, conservators, curators, distributors,
librarians, media makers, producers, registrars, scholars, and other professionals with accessible
solutions to document and preserve media collections.”18 This includes, thus, small scale organizations
such as museums, art centers, dance and theatre companies, libraries, university departments, non-profit
distributors and public television stations.
To assist with the stewardship of independent media art, IMAP has developed preservation practices and
techniques that include description and cataloguing, education and training to assist with the stewardship
of independent collections. The Preservation 101 Toolkit addresses film, audio, digital media and video
formats and includes segments on Condition Assessment, Preservation Priorities, Cleaning,
Reformatting, Storage, and Disaster Planning. Other projects include the development of the IMAP
Cataloguing and Re-housing Template (a standards-based cataloguing tool created by Jim Hubbard).
IMAP hosted the Cataloguing Project on its website in 2001.
The IMAP website also includes links to publications with hands-on preservation information, including:
AMIA (Association of Moving Image Archivists), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA),
American Institute for Conservation (AIC), Electronic Media Group (Stanford University) , Bay Area Video
Coalition (BAVC), and to government-sponsored organizations like the National Center for Film and Video
Preservation at the American Film Institute..
With a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, IMAP also conducted an online survey in 20072008 to determine the scope of institutions holding obsolete video playback equipment. This survey
sought to gage interest in several potential projects in the future, including: an online registry of playback
equipment, the creation of a template that could be used to help inventory and catalogue such equipment,
and the initiation of a cooperative effort to share parts and expertise.
INCCA (International Network for the Conservation of Contemporary Art)
Key publications:
17
Visionary, Mona Jimenez, an artist and media preservation specialist, began this important work in 1999, after initial
meetings with EAI (Electronic Arts Intermix – also discussed in this summary) and WNET/13 in New York. Mona Jimenez was also a
consultant on a feasibility study for the media art collection held by the National Gallery of Canada, along with Pip Laurenson from
the Tate Modern.
18
See website: http:///www.imapreserve.org
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 18



The Net Art Restoration Project
Inside Installations: The Preservation and Presentation of Installation Art; and.
The Artists Database.
INCCA is a network of professionals connected to the conservation of modern and contemporary art
which includes support for the work of independent media artists. Conservators, curators, scientists,
registrars, archivists, art historians and researchers are among those in its membership; the consortium is
composed primarily of museums. The founding members were: Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage
(ICN), Amsterdam; Tate Gallery, London; Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Ghent;
Restaurierungszentrum der Landeshauptstadt, Düsseldorfl Solomon Guggenheim Museum, New
York/Bilbao; Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi/ Konservatorskolen, Copenhagen; Fundacio ‘La
Caixa’/Centre Cultural de Barcelona; Galeria d’Arte Moderna, Turin; Academy of Fine Art/Faculty of
Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art, Warsaw; Museum Moderner Kunst/Stiftung Ludwig,
Vienna; and Foundation for the Conservation of Contemporary Art, (SBMK) The Netherlands.
The consortium has morphed since the initial establishment of INCAA in 1997 and now includes a NorthAmerican chapter, INCCA-NA, established in 2008. The organization is “dedicated to developing
knowledge through collaborations between artists, art professionals and collectors that will ensure the
preservation of modern and contemporary art and provide educational programs for a wide public
audience in North America.”19 In December of 2012, INCCA-NA received a $65,000 grant from The
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for the Artist Interview Project. Online the organization reports on several
case studies they have conducted in the past. It must be noted that INCAA-NA is devoted to access as
education and is currently developing methodology toward the restoration of video and new media
artworks.
The strategies of INCAA-NA are to:







Create and collect meta-data records and unpublished documents for the INCCA Database for
Artists’ Archives;
Disseminate information via a continually up-dated website;
Promote common methods and vocabularies for conserving modern and contemporary art;
Promote artist interviews and technical analysis as important methods for collecting information
on artists’ materials, techniques, and conceptual intent;
Develop and implement collaborative research projects to create new knowledge, promote good
practice, and professional and educational tools;
Share this new knowledge through symposia, meetings, and workshops on INCCA-NA and
topical issues; and,
Encourage students to become active in INCCA-NA projects.
Research projects from INCCA include the EU projects pertaining to net-based artworks: Net Art
Restoration Project (1997), which was conducted in partnership with Media Matters; and, Inside
Installations: The Preservation and Presentation of Installation Art. 20 It is believed that the EU project,
Digital Dossier for Marina Abramovic (2005) by Free University, Amsterdam, in conjunction with
Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage, (ICN), Netherlands Media Art Institute, Foundation for the
19
http://www.incca-na.org/ Last accessed February 14, 2012.
This project was initialized in order “to raise awareness of the requirements of these works and to provide a practical response
to the need for international agreement among museums.”
20
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 19
Conservation of Contemporary Art, SBMK inspired the current INCCA-NA endeavour, Artist Interview
Project.21
More information is available at: www.incca.org and http://www.incca-na.org/
Little Film – United States
Little Film is focused on small gauge and home movie preservation best practices, including identification
of early (obsolete) formats and storage concerns; the guidelines are very practical.
This organization is devoted to amateur film and home movies as valuable “unique and important to the
history of our culture.” A lengthy informative article written by Toni Treadway can be found on the website;
it discusses preservation issues, the history of changing film gauges, and includes information on audio
tape and videotape, all in simple and accessible language. The thrust of the article establishes why home
movies are important while also providing advice on how to best to care for old film works, how to identify
advanced deterioration, when to chose alternate storage, and how to avoid creating orphan films.
For more information: http://littlefilm.org.
http://www.lux.org.uk/resources/keep-moving-images/introduction
[Taking this out because when get to link I found text says “This resource section was written in 2005 so
does not take account of issues related to new moving image technologies such as HD and file
preservation’]
Matters in Media Art
The consortium of museums (MoMA, SFMoMA, and the Tate Gallery) produced the following key
publication: Media Matters: Collaborating Towards the Care of Time-Based Media Works of Art
(excellent best practices) and also collaborated on INCCA’s Net Art Restoration Project to produce best
practice guidelines for new media installation.
Matters in Media Art: Collaborating toward the Care of Time-based Media
In 2003, a consortium of curators, conservators and media technicians from the New Art Trust, MoMA
(NYC), SFMOMA (San Francisco), and the Tate (UK) established “a multi-phased project designed to
provide guidelines for care of time-based media works of art (video, film, audio and computer-based
installations).” It produced this report entitled, Media Matters: Collaborating Towards the Care of Time-
21
It is widely understood in the arts community that in order to assure long-term preservation of new media technologydependent art, artist interviews should be conducted at the point of acquisition into any collection. INCAA-NA describes this in the
project’s description as follows: “Increasingly over the 20th century into the 21st century, artists have experimented with an
unprecedented range of new materials and technologies – often with untested longevity and built-in obsolescence leading to
instability. The critical need to engage artists, their fabricators and estates in developing preservation strategies has led to an
increasing demand for interview skills in the complex task of obtaining information from “guided conversations”. The Artist Interview
Project will provide this training.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 20
based Media Works of Art. In 2004, best practices for loaning time-based media works, were established.
A second project addressed the skills required for the installation of new media works. 22
For more information, go to the websites of any of the collaborating organizations, including:

Tate: http://www.tate.org.uk/research/tateresearch/majorprojects/mediamatters/

Museum of Modern Art: moma.org/explore/collection/conservation/media_art

San Francisco Moma: www.sfmoma.org/pages/research_projects_matters_in_media

INCCA: www.incca.org/projects/64-current-projects/213-matters-in-media-art
NIMk (Netherlands Media Art Institute) - Netherlands
Suffering serious cuts in 2012, NIMk is now in the process of reorganizing to maintain smaller dedicated
services in line with the priorities it formerly established and offered as wings of the Institute. The history
of NIMk runs briefly as follows:
The Netherlands Media Art Institute came into being in 1978 when it began to amalgamate and
administer the collections of five institutions that were subsumed within the institute: Monte Video, Time
Based Arts (1983-1994);23 Lijnbaan Center (1970-1982); De Appel (1975-1983); and, the Institute
Collection Netherlands (ICN). The institute hosted a reference collection (6,500 titles), a distribution
collection (2000 titles) and also maintained an online catalogue.
Access was the primary driver for preservation projects and was an integral principle of the NIMk, which
worked with the Foundation for the Conservation of Contemporary Art (SBMK) and Virtueel Platform (VP)
to preserve video art works from these Dutch public media art collections. Research into computer based
artworks (born-digital art) and the accessibility of media art in public collections formed the project,
Preservation of Media Art Collections in Netherlands.
An impressive group of participating museums and art institutions included: the Van Abbemuseum,
Eindhoven; De Appel arts centre, Amsterdam; Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht; Museum Boijmans Van
Beuningen, Rotterdam; Groninger Museum; Instituut Collectie Nederland, Rijswijk; Kröller-Müller
Museum, Otterlo; Netherlands Media Art Institute, Amsterdam (including the collections of the
Lijnbaancentrum, Montevideo and Time Based Arts); Gemeentemuseum, Helmond; Rijksakademie van
beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Centraal Museum, Utrecht; Frans Hals
Museum, Haarlem; V2_, Rotterdam; Noordbrabants Museum, Den Bosch and SCHUNCK*, Heerlen.
Major NIMK projects to date included:
Culture Vortex – Public 2.0 conducted user research (2010). Culture Vortex is now focused on how to
both augment and promote online media art while acknowledging that artists are unsure about the added
value of offering their works online.
GAMA (2008), established as a consortium of the most important digital content holders for media art in
Europe, with a goal to create a central platform to enable multilingual, facilitated and user-orientated
access to a significant number of media art archives and their digitalized content.
Net Art Installations, in collaboration with INCCA; see Summary of Findings: Preservation – Digital.
Monte Video merged with Time Based Arts to become a center of technical expertise through the Conservation of Dutch
Video Art project. There was integral cooperation with Dutch museums that over the course of time had also collected video work.
Because of the differences in approach among the institutions from which the videos came, considerable time was spent integrating
the collections with one another.
22
23
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 21
OASIS (Open Archiving System with Internet Sharing), one component project under the EU’s Culture
2000 program. The task of that project was to design a new environment for media arts content gathering,
including the preservation, presentation and distribution of media art, as well as the exchange of
information in an accessible digital environment.
Key publication: Preservation of Media Art Collections in the Netherlands
http://nimk.nl/eng/archive/preservation-media-art-collections-in-the-netherlands
PACKED - Belgium
A key study on the effects of obsolescence of playback equipment was conducted by PACKED and in
partnership with NIMk; this study produced significant recommendations and is available online. PACKED
has survived the 2012 cuts to the arts felt across Europe and although the organization is currently
working to access preservation funding for more mainstream collections, the preservation of media
artworks currently remains an integral part of the organization’s ethos.
The obsolescence of playback equipment is a critical factor in any preservation project; PACKED looked
intently at playback equipment as a critical factor in any preservation project. It received its funding from
the Cultural Heritage Ministry of the Flemish Community, which continues to support the organization.
The Netherlands Media Art Institute (NIMk - now defunct), along with Montevideo and Time Based Arts
(whose collections were held by NIMk), conducted an intensive collaboration over a two-year period to
assess the obsolescence of playback equipment and the effect this has on the preservation life cycle
regarding independent media artworks. Other partners in the project were the MuHKA and S.M.A.K. in
Flanders, and the Kröller-Müller Museum and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in the Netherlands (and also
the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage (ICN) and the Van Abbemuseum Eindhoven).
More information on PACKED can be found at http://www.packed.be/
VTAPE – Canada
Established in 1983, Vtape is a leader in video art distribution and provides services to individual artists
and institutions that support the production, exhibition and acquisition of video art, both within Canada
and internationally. Vtape has recently developed a two tiered publication that addresses the needs of
artists and of organizations that seek to preserve video art collections. With funding from the Independent
Media Art Alliance (IMAA), Canada’s only national arts service organization dedicated to advocating on
behalf of independent media art for its 80+ member organizations across Canada, the Vtape best practice
documents have been translated from English to French; these are now available through Vtape or via
the IMAA website.
Key Publications: Caring for Video Art: Best Practices Guide for Organizations and Caring for Video Art:
Best Practices Guide for Artists.
Available on: www.vtape.org
For more information on IMAA, please go to www.imaa.ca
UNIVERSITIES
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 22
Berkeley University (U.S.A) supports the Berkeley Art Museum and the Rhizome Art Base.
Key publication: Preserving the Rhizome Art Base (2002).
http://archive.rhizome.org:8080/artbase/preserving-the-rhizome-artbase-richard-rinehart/
British Universities Film & Video Council (BUFVC) - The Moving Image Gateway – United Kingdom
Essentially a portal, BUFVC is also a film archive forum for public sector film and television archives; the
website also links to a wide reaching research network.
http://bufvc.ac.uk/2012/05/23/moving-image-gateway-updates-3
Columbia University – United States
Key publication: Survey Instrument for Audio and Moving Image Collections (for assessment of
physical condition and intellectual control). Columbia also produced an access database and an
instruction manual.
http://library.columbia.edu/content/libraryweb/services/preservation/audiosurvey.html
Cornell University – United States
Key publication: Digital Preservation Management; Implementing Short-term Strategies for Longterm Problems (awarded in 2004). http://www.dpworkshop.org/dpm-eng/eng_index.html
Also offers Digital Preservation Management Workshops and Tutorials. Solid information on digital
issues, including copyright, OASIS, TDRs & metadata management. Cornell was involved in ECPA,
TAAC and The Landmark Study.
Getty Research Institute - United States
Key publication: Introduction to Imaging (2005), a thorough overview of digital conversion, including
standards, metadata, networks, project planning, quality control and security. The Getty Research
Institute is essentially a centre for the preservation of all kinds of materials.
http://www.getty.edu/research/
Indiana University and Harvard University – United States
Key publication: Sound Directions: Best Practices for Audio Preservation, Trustees of Indiana
University and President and Fellows of Harvard University, 2007.
This is a detailed and extensive examination of best practices for audio formats, based on the experience
of two well managed sound archives, one at each of Yale and Indiana University. The document includes
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 23
a 4-page summary that lists all of the best practices mentioned throughout the book, which is both useful
and quite detailed.24 Given that the best practices recommended in Sound Directions are based on the
experience of two successful institutions with large and relatively similar types of sound collections, the
recommendations could not, however, be considered scalable, as many would not apply to smaller
institutions. Note also that there is little focus on the access and rights issues.
Available free on line at: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu
Rochester Institute of Technology (and the Society for Imaging Science and Technology) – United
States
Rochester Institute sponsors the Image Permanence Institute; it has departments dedicated to
research, education, products and services, and it supports the preservation of analogue and digital
cultural property (see also, University of Rochester, below).
https://www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org/
Research Libraries Group (RLG) – United States
Key publications: The Landmark Study (1996), a final report on preservation of electronic records, plus
Preserving Digital Information. RLG was also part of the Commission on Preservation & Access,
which provided digital info on technical, security and conversion issues.
http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports
Stanford University – United States
Home to the American Institute for Conservation of Historic Works, The Electronic Media Group
http://cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/emg/
(a forum to address conservation of new media technologies) and CoOL(Conservation OnLine), which is
a research lab that focuses on audio, Stanford covers a wide spectrum of research topics for library,
archival and museum materials.
The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) exists to support the
conservation professionals who preserve the cultural heritage of The Electronic Media Group. (AIC's
newest specialty group, the Electronic Media Group, was officially formed in 1998 after two sessions of
the Electronic Media Special Interest Group demonstrated a need for a formal forum dedicated to
addressing the topic of new media technologies in the conservation context.) The group's membership
totals 115 and is comprised of conservation and preservation professionals with diverse experience and
training but who share a common interest in furthering the group's goals. Those goals are to promote the
exchange of information about: (1) the preservation of historic records and artistic works which involve the
24
p. 156-159.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 24
use of electronic equipment, technologies and/or media as they are created, stored, used or experienced,
and (2) the adoption of digital technologies to enhance conservation practice and preservation activities.
Another specific project to emerge from Stanford is COoL, which is focused solely on audio and deals
with related preservation issues. COoL is essentially a research lab that covers a wide spectrum of topics.
For more information on the Electronic Media Group: http://aic.stanford.edu/sg/aboutEMG.html
For more information on AIC: http://www.conservation-us.org/
And the following link goes to the Audio-specific preservation site - COoL:
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/audio/.
University of Bristol – United Kingdom
Home to the Institute for Learning and Research Technology and JISC Digital Media (aka TAIS),
which focus on digital media education and the management of small/large scale digitization projects,
including sound and moving image.
http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/
University of Illinois - United States
Key publication: Audiovisual Self-Assessment Program,
essentially an informational document, not a hands on guide.
http://www.library.illinois.edu/avsap/
University of Rochester – United States
Rochester offers a hands-on MA in audio-visual preservation, in cooperation with the George Eastman
House and the Selznick School of Preservation; the website links to other sites related to technology,
museums, archives and/or motion film.
University of Texas – United States
Key publications: Texas Commission on the Arts: Video Identification and Assessment Guide
available at: http://www.arts.state.tx.us/video
and, Home Media Preservation Guide available on: http://www.texasarchive.org
Texas Commission On The Arts: Video Identification and Assessment Guide; this guide easily
enables the identification of video formats, the evaluation of the risks and condition of videotape, and
includes a decision making tree for the conservation of video-based material. It is a valuable tool within
the independent media art community.
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 25
Home Media Preservation Guide is a succinct guide that provides a common sense approach to the
preservation of personal collections of film, videotape and DVDs. The guide is split into four major
sections: Storage, Handling, Digital Transfer, and Links and Resources. 25
Yale University – United States
Key publication: Best Practices for the Digital Conversion of Dynamic Media, Yale University Study,
2008
A key work on audio-visual digitization, which is broken down into separate audio, video and film sections,
this publication offers informative guidelines and lessons learned, rather than actual best practices. The
publication is focussed on the digitization process but includes good technical information on preservation
and access. It also includes highlights of basic digitization principles, which are simple and may therefore
be useful within a scaled approach to best practices for digitization.
For example, the section on vendor relations reads as follows:
Speak to people who have used this vendor for similar projects – get recommendations.
If possible, obtain multiple bids.
Know your specific goals and internal workflow limitations in advance.
And, most importantly, make sure your contract with the vendor is iron clad before you sign it –
describe precisely the work to be done, and include fail-safes, deadlines and repercussions for
not meeting those deadlines.
5. You don’t need to know about it all, audio-visual media is complex, but know enough to speak
knowledgeably about your materials with the vendor.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Available online at: www.library.yale.edu/dpip/bestpractices/MediaBestPractices.doc,
25
The links are to AMIA, CLIR, NFPF Preservation Guide, and The Video History Project (Experimental Television Centre).
Prepared by Richard Lochead and Michele L. Wozny
Page 26