Preservation for LIU students. How long we keep things. A/V Materials are part of Communications history- 11/21/10. Preservation-

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Preservation for LIU students Howard Besser NYU Moving Image Archiving & Preservation Program http://besser.nyu.

edu/tisch/preservation/ How long we keep things Companies keep information for days, or even years Individuals keep things for years, or a lifetime Archives, Libraries, and museums keep things for

1 Preservation for LIU students Howard Besser NYU Moving Image Archiving & Preservation Program How long we keep things Companies keep information for days, or even years Individuals keep things for years, or a lifetime Archives, Libraries, and museums keep things for hundreds of years Cultural Institutions have a much greater responsibility for preservation! 1 2 Preservation- Communications History Conservation Environments Reformatting Conservation Tools A/V and Digital Materials Carriers & Content What is different with contemporary media? A/V Materials are part of Communications history- A history that dates back thousands of years A history where technological developments have massively changed communications (production of paper/ink, printing press, photography, telephone, ) A history where technology has permitted us to build carriers to encapsule and save forms of communications 3 4 Communications: history that dates back thousands of years (Stockholm Telemuseum) Communications: Papyrus 5 6 1

2 Communications: Papyrus Conservation Environments & Activities 7 8 Paper Conservators at Museu Imperial Both A/V and Digital Preservation causes a shift in Conservation thinking 9 10 Museu Imperial-access Casa Rui Barbosa

3 Kungl Biblioteket-Conservation storage Kungl Biblioteket-Conservation storage Very different concerns than for Digital Storage Bibliotek (finished distributed copies) Hampton Collection (1) Hampton Collection (2)

4 Hampton Collection (3) Hampton Collection (interviews) Hampton Collection (exhibits) Hampton Collection (negatives) Various Formats Intermixed (Hampton) Univ of GA Walter J Brown Media Archives

5 Univ of GA Walter J Brown Media Archives Storage-Main Smithsonian Storage--Smithsonian History Museum Storage-Smithsonian History Museum Storage-Smithsonian History Museum Hogan Jazz Archive Tulane Univ Library

Academy--vault staging Re-formatting is not a new idea 31 32 What is Reformatting?

microfilming History of Conservation & Preservation Reformatting In ancient times, in the library of Pamphilus at Caesaria, badly damaged papyrus manuscript pages were replaced with parchment (which

6 Academy--vault staging Re-formatting is not a new idea What is Reformatting? A form of copying Usually copied onto a medium having different physical characteristics than the original physical strata Examples Document on acidic paper onto non-acidic paper Newspaper microfilming History of Conservation & Preservation Reformatting In ancient times, in the library of Pamphilus at Caesaria, badly damaged papyrus manuscript pages were replaced with parchment (which was stronger) -Saint Jerome The Bible was hand-copied for millenia US Newberry Library (Paul Banks) began 1st US institutional preservation program US NEH begins funding massive microfilming of brittle paper (mainly newspapers) Why do we Reformat?- Brittle Newspapers (Australia Battye Library)

original object (its physical characteristics are deteriorating too fast)

decay its physical characteristics (so we create a surrogate for users and

viewing the work requires some kind of technology, and we can t keep that

Record Turntables 39 40 Slide Projector Limitations of Reformatting

7 Why do we Reformat? Metal sound recording Disks Casa Rui Barbosa Because we cannot sustain the original object (its physical characteristics are deteriorating too fast) Because continued access and handling of the original object will rapidly decay its physical characteristics (so we create a surrogate for users and store the original in very good conditions, away from users) Because viewing the work requires some kind of technology, and we can t keep that technology working very far into the future Paper print (LC Dayton) Record Turntables Slide Projector Limitations of Reformatting Authenticity issues (more later) User behaviors (newspaper, book, video game, ) Users mistaking the reformatted work for the original

Critiques of Reformatting Mainly User Behaviors Can t view outside the library Only sequential access Viewing and studying is awkward But if we don t Reformat, we totally lose some kinds of works

for other types (studio newsreels, shorts, docs, independent, ), and these orphans are particularly in peril Fewer than 20% of features from 1920s survive in complete form; survival rates of 1910s is

8 Critiques of Reformatting Mainly User Behaviors Can t view outside the library Only sequential access Viewing and studying is awkward But if we don t Reformat, we totally lose some kinds of works (particularly audiovisual works like film) 50% of all titles produced before 1950 have vanished (approximate number as of late 1970s) This reflects full-length features; survival rates are much lower for other types (studio newsreels, shorts, docs, independent, ), and these orphans are particularly in peril Fewer than 20% of features from 1920s survive in complete form; survival rates of 1910s is <10% (& none of these are negatives) -Film Preservation 1993: A Study of the Current State of American Film Preservation, Vol 1: Report, June 1993, Report of the Librarian of Congress ( And sometimes we have to reformat because of technology changes We don t have video players to play tapes made 25 years ago We don t have 8-inch floppy disk drives, syquest drives, zip drives We don t have Windows 3 operating systems But this is something that conservators have always dealt with We sometimes have no control over the technologies we use Environmental--Government mandates to discontinue use of halon gas as fire extinguisher Economic--Companies in economic trouble will cease manufacturing technologies that aren t hugely profitable Ilford (2004 bankruptcy) Agfa (2005 bankruptcy) Kodak Kodak stops making some films Kodak stops making some papers

Basic Economics The conservation community is not large enough a purchaser to sustain many types of manufacturing and technological

periodically monitoring the economic health of our suppliers, and be aware of long -term trends affecting their other customers

priorities Treatments (chemistry, physics, reformatting) 49 50 Preventative Conservation- Hampton Collection (atmosphere cntrl)

9 Basic Economics The conservation community is not large enough a purchaser to sustain many types of manufacturing and technological production Many of the things we use are based upon larger production runs for larger (and richer) communities Therefore, we need to be periodically monitoring the economic health of our suppliers, and be aware of long -term trends affecting their other customers Conservation Tools Preventative Conservation (temperature, humidity, acidity control and monitoring) Conservation Assessment to set priorities Treatments (chemistry, physics, reformatting) Preventative Conservation- Hampton Collection (atmosphere cntrl) Facilities and infrastructure Monitoring micro and macro environments Collection Assessment tools Disaster recovery Academy-Atmosphere IPI Storage Guide

IPI Media Storage Reference Guide 55 % RH IPI Preservation Index temperature/humidity, Years until noticeable deterioration Tempera ture Cº 2º

175 80 40 20 11 6 70 250 125 60 30 16 9 5 80 200 100 50 25 13 7 4 56 Temperature & Humidity for Tape Storage Variance of less than 2ºC and 5% RH

below 8ºC amianet.org 2003, & ISO 18923 Ideal Temperature/Humidity Van Bogart http://www.clir.

org/pubs/reports/pub54 Improving storage outside the Can Jean-Louis Bigourdan, AMIA 1998 lowering temperature and/or relative humidity can help

10 IPI Media Storage Reference Guide 55 % RH IPI Preservation Index temperature/humidity, Years until noticeable deterioration Tempera ture Cº 2º 7º 13º 18º 24º 29º 35º Temperature & Humidity for Tape Storage Variance of less than 2ºC and 5% RH per 24 hours Ideally 8ºC and 25% RH Other options 20 C (68 F) and 20-30% RH 15 C (59 F) and 20-40% RH 10 C (50 F) and 20-50% RH Never store below 8ºC amianet.org 2003, & ISO Ideal Temperature/Humidity Van Bogart Life Expentency at various Temperature/Humidity Van Bogart Improving storage outside the Can Jean-Louis Bigourdan, AMIA 1998 lowering temperature and/or relative humidity can help reduce the rate of acidification in degrading film trying to remove acid within the can does not outweigh the benefits of low temperature and humidity the greatest improvements in chemical stability can be achieved with cold temperatures

Monitoring Micro & Macro Environments Improving storage inside the Can Jean-Louis Bigourdan, AMIA 1998 zeolites, silica gel, and low relative humidity

use of cardboard disks is not recommended 61 62 IPI A-D Strips Acid Detection Strips at NYU Library (Internship) 63 64 NYU University Archives Internship Project

0 1.5 3.0 % of 1.5 3.0 400 325 81% 75 19% Audio Visual 107 82 77% 25 23% Brademas Papers 75 75 100% 0 0% Classics Dept. Tapes 101 100 99% 1 1% Dept.

11 Monitoring Micro & Macro Environments Improving storage inside the Can Jean-Louis Bigourdan, AMIA 1998 zeolites, silica gel, and low relative humidity preconditioning help mostly by reducing moisture content acid adsorbents retard further decay acid adsorbents do not reduce the acid content of degraded film the use of cardboard disks is not recommended IPI A-D Strips Acid Detection Strips at NYU Library (Internship) NYU University Archives Internship Project Acid Detection results/autocatalytic point readings Thermohygrograph University Archives Collections University Archives (in total) Total # of items % of % of % 75 19% Audio Visual % 25 23% Brademas Papers % 0 0% Classics Dept. Tapes % 1 1% Dept. of Athletics % 10 71% External Affairs % 0 0% Abby Weed Grey % 0 0% Alice V. Keliher % 0 0% Miscellaneous Films % 39 87% Annette Weiner % 0 0%

12 Setting Collection Priorities You collection will always need more time than you can give Triage--setting priorities Methodology for Setting Priorities (1/3) Identify different groupings within your collection By sub-collection By age By where they ve been stored By video format Methodology for Setting Priorities (2/3) Survey a Random Sample in each grouping Physically inspect each of the random samples, looking for metal oxide, tape packing problems, breakage, edge damage, stretching, curling, housing damage, or other signs of deterioration [play each tape] Methodology for Setting Priorities (3/3) Analyse the data you gathered Extrapolate from your sample to project how many total tapes in each category are likely to have each problem Combine this data with other information (relative value of each sub-collection, replace-ability of particular groups of tapes, how unique certain groups are, issues with reformatting, special funding available for certain sub -groups Set priorities based on the above Collection Assessment Tools New York University Visual and Playback Inspection Ratings System (ViPIRS): Tool for Evaluating Audiovisual Magnetic Media Disaster Prevention & Recovery /research/disaster/disaster.shtml /vipirshome.html Columbia University Libraries: Audio/Moving Image Survey Database /preservation/projects.html Besser-LIU Preservation, 11.17,

Other policy issues Limit on what you agree to accept (numbers, conditions, uniqueness, rights issues, ) Access issues Who can view; how often; restricted items?

13 Other policy issues Limit on what you agree to accept (numbers, conditions, uniqueness, rights issues, ) Access issues Who can view; how often; restricted items? When can copies be made (& under what conditions)? What should be available online? Other important resources for collection maintenance (1/2) Bigourdan, Jean-Louis, James M. Reilly, Karen Santoro, Gene Salesin. The Preservation of Magnetic Tape Collections: A Perspective. National Endowment for the Humanities: Division of Preservation and Access. / EAI Online Resource Guide for Exhibiting, Collecting and Preserving Media Art. Electronic Arts Intermix. Edmondson, Ray. Audiovisual Archiving: philosophy and principles; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. unesdoc.unesco.org /images/0013/001364/136477e.pdf Harrison, Helen ed. Audiovisual Archives: A Practical Reader. UNESCO: Paris, database=ged&lin=1&gp=0&look=new&sc1=1&sc2=1&nl=1&req=2&au=harrison,%20helen%20p. Imaging Materials Magnetic Tape Care and Handling Practices for Extended Usage. ISO 18933:2006. International Standards Organization. /iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber= Other important resources for collection maintenance (2/2) Jimenez, Mona and Liss Platt. Videotape Identification and Assessment Guide. Texas Commission on the Arts Keep Moving Images. LUX. The NINCH Guide to Good Practice in the Digital Representation and Management of Cultural Heritage Materials. National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage. / Television/ Video Preservation Study: Volume 1: Report. Library of Congress / Van Bogart, Dr. John W.C. Magnetic Tape Storage and Handling: A Guide for Libraries and Archives. Council on Library and Information Resources. June / Wheeler, Jim. Videotape Preservation Handbook. /Traditional%20Audiovisual%20Preservation/WheelerVideo.pdf Planning for the future Track where field is going Environmental Scans Technological Obsolescence A/V & Digital Materials are part of Communications history A history where technological developments have massively changed communications (production of paper/ink, printing press, photography, telephone, ) Stockholm Telemuseum

Stockholm Telemuseum Stockholm Telemuseum 79 80 Stockholm Telemuseum

increasingly digital Many organizations have audio collections

meetings or meetings of professional associations Libraries and

Museums, libraries, and archives record the audio of special events,

Cultural institutions collect recordings of indigenous music,

14 Stockholm Telemuseum Stockholm Telemuseum Stockholm Telemuseum Stockholm Telemuseum Today, peoples home collections are increasingly digital Many organizations have audio collections Archives have speeches of politicians, recordings of legislative meetings or meetings of professional associations Libraries and archives have oral histories and interviews with famous people Museums, libraries, and archives record the audio of special events, guest lectures, etc. Cultural institutions collect recordings of indigenous music, interviews about disappearing cultures and languages, etc. Cultural institutions collect recordings of local cultural events, music, etc

15 Bumba-Meu-Boi Media News Media News Documentation of Events AN, 2001 Igreja da Pampulha

SOIMA preparation SOIMA Welcome 91 92 Everything I ve shown so far was recorded on Digital devices More & more recordings are made on these devices We need to conserve and preserve these Where is the

Digital requires a new way of looking at Preservation Little worry about the original Formats and hardware frequently become obsolete We need to constantly re-format Long-term planning and

Historic collections often have old films of a city, of buildings, of people at another time period Archives have home movies of famous people Science and culture museums have anthropological films

16 SOIMA preparation SOIMA Welcome Everything I ve shown so far was recorded on Digital devices More & more recordings are made on these devices We need to conserve and preserve these Where is the original? Digital requires a new way of looking at Preservation Little worry about the original Formats and hardware frequently become obsolete We need to constantly re-format Long-term planning and preservation administration is absolutely essential We can learn a lot from the Audiovisual field, which has dealt with these problems for a long time Many organizations have film and video Historic collections often have old films of a city, of buildings, of people at another time period Archives have home movies of famous people Science and culture museums have anthropological films of other cultures Museums have videos of dramatic performances, videos of exhibits, art films, art videos Government collections have films documenting government-funded projects (building Brasilia), films and videos commissioned by government agencies (AIDS prevention, Brasil, um Pays de Todos ), Images with Sound are critical to understanding our cultural heritage Both fiction & documentaries shape any time period s views of the past (Moses & 10 Commandments; Cleopatra; Caesar s Rome; 1940s urban US; Hitler, Holocaust, WWII; Vietnam War, ) We are shaped by the cultural icons of our childhood (Leave it to Beaver, Lassie, James Bond, police shows, Mickey Mouse, Road Runner, ) We are also shaped by the advertisements, industrial, and educational films of our childhood (Maytag repairman, How to be a good homemaker, ) To understand our time period, people in the future will need to have access to the cultural artifacts of our time (imagine trying to understand 1950s and 1960s gender dynamics without pop cultural views of the family)

TV History Today, our A/V Communications Content spreads quickly throughout the world 97 98 A/V Materials are part of Communications history A history where technology has permitted us to build

Audio wax and wire recordings to capture what our ears hear Audio and video tapes CDs and DVDs 99 Communications Technologies: Carriers & Content (background) Throughout history, the content produced

17 TV History Today, our A/V Communications Content spreads quickly throughout the world A/V Materials are part of Communications history A history where technology has permitted us to build carriers to encapsule and save forms of communications Paper and Books to capture oral legends & tales Photographic film & paper to capture images Motion picture film to capture what our eyes see Audio wax and wire recordings to capture what our ears hear Audio and video tapes CDs and DVDs 99 Communications Technologies: Carriers & Content (background) Throughout history, the content produced was intimately bound up with a particular carrier Papyrus scrolls, clay tablets, codex Only reproduction was hand-copying (monks w /religious texts) Copying technologies (printing press, photography, film/video, photocopying) still bound content to carrier, but introduced the idea of lack of uniqueness and sometimes distinguished btwn a master original (negatives) and copies 100 Communications Technologies: Carriers & Content (lessons for today) Many types of institutions (libraries, some archives) only collect mass -produced copies (books, films, videos, DVDs), they do NOT collect the original materials (master copies, negatives, etc.). In the digital world, most originals are absolutely identical to all copies. Even when these are put onto different carriers (hard disk, digital tape, CD, DVD), all copies are identical to original (unless specifically made lower quality) For those mentioned above, there is no notion of uniqueness, nor of original For those institutions that collect material that was used to construct an original (manuscripts, negatives, inter-negatives), the production elements used to construct the original still maintain some uniqueness Not being able to identify originals or uniqueness bothers conservators Difficult Materials become obsolete relatively quickly The physical carriers decay or become obsolete The technology required to view the carriers changes frequently The encoding formats needed to decode the content shift

18 Obsolete or deteriorated Physical Carriers Obsolete Carriers & Info Techn Obsolete Carriers Obsolete Carrier creating technology -Svenska Filmhuset Obsolete Carrier viewing Technology? Kodak stops making some films

formats, wax 1888 1929 or wax compound Recordable Disc Records 7, 12, or 16, recorded at 1929 1960s

Generally vinyl on a paper, glass or metal base Recording Wire Spooled wire, usually in 15- c.

1945 Present 1 7/8 30 inches per second (IPS) speeds Compact Cassette 1/8 tape in hard case, 1 7/8 1965

and other digital recorders tapes Audio recorded directly in digital files to optical disks or internal

19 Old Video Formats ( List of old Audio Formats Format Description Years in Use Wax Cylinder Records 2- or 4-minute formats, wax or wax compound Recordable Disc Records 7, 12, or 16, recorded at s (Direct or Acetate Discs) 33 or 78 revolutions per minute (rpm). Generally vinyl on a paper, glass or metal base Recording Wire Spooled wire, usually in 15- c to 30- minute lengths, one direction only Open reel recording tape 1/4 2, /2" reels, c Present 1 7/8 30 inches per second (IPS) speeds Compact Cassette 1/8 tape in hard case, 1 7/ Present IPS format Microcassette/Minicassette Very small 2-4 cm cassette 1977 Present Digital disk, MP3, and other digital recorders tapes Audio recorded directly in digital files to optical disks or internal hard drives 2000 Present Lost Tapes, Found SoundsExhibition Harold Schellinex Lost Tapes, Found SoundsExhibition Harold Schellinex Lost Tapes, Found SoundsExhibition Harold Schellinex Lost Tapes, Found SoundsExhibition Harold Schellinex

Lost Tapes, Found SoundsExhibition Harold Schellinex Lost

Tapes, Found SoundsExhibition Harold Schellinex 117 118

loss with each generation Requires managed environment Can

Copyright Issues Refreshing onto new physical strata can

often requires reverse engineering of software Underlying

20 Lost Tapes, Found SoundsExhibition Harold Schellinex Lost Tapes, Found SoundsExhibition Harold Schellinex Lost Tapes, Found SoundsExhibition Harold Schellinex Lost Tapes, Found SoundsExhibition Harold Schellinex Possible endless need for reformatting implies Possible loss with each generation Requires managed environment Can lead to violations- Preservation steps can raise serious Copyright Issues Refreshing onto new physical strata can violate Migrating raises moral rights issues Emulation often requires reverse engineering of software Underlying rights

Some other things you should know about- Resources/Manuals (Cinemateca Brasileira) The production process-

Periodic monitoring of the works Periodic monitoring of the technical environment for viewing the works

over time Removable media (like CDs) is not a long -term answer The long-term answer requires ongoing

21 Some other things you should know about- Resources/Manuals (Cinemateca Brasileira) The production process- Resources to help you Managed Environment Intro to Imaging More than temperature & humidity control Periodic monitoring of the works Periodic monitoring of the technical environment for viewing the works (software, systems, hardware) Trusted repositories Storage Media Storing on CDs becomes a big problem over time Removable media (like CDs) is not a long -term answer The long-term answer requires ongoing management, and involves regular migration or emulation. This solution is only viable with storage on spinning disks

Consumers replace their CDs with a hard disk (& so should you) Plain DVDs are no longer

temperature (Helsinki underground vaults) And less on the construction of Vaults

worrying so much about physical embodiment Producer Management 131 Consumer Physical

save? artifact idea + ancillary material & documentation Cataloging Later access

22 Consumers replace their CDs with a hard disk (& so should you) Plain DVDs are no longer the latest format So, with electronic works, the focus should be less on stable temperature (Helsinki underground vaults) And less on the construction of Vaults (Helsinki underground vaults) But more on ongoing management of a work without worrying so much about physical embodiment Producer Management 131 Consumer Physical preservation Paradigms Shifts needed 132 Old atmospheric cntrl New ongoing mgmt What to save? artifact idea + ancillary material & documentation Cataloging Later access Individual work in hand Artifact & documentation FRBR Restaging, ancillary material & documentation 22

23 Preservation Howard Besser, NYU Moving Image Archiving & Preservation Program hhttp:// /01alaprespolicy.cfm Besser-LIU Preservation, 11.17,

IFLA Introduction to Moving Image & Sound Collections in Libraries. How long we keep things. A/V Materials are part of Communications history-

IFLA Introduction to Moving Image & Sound Collections in Libraries Howard Besser NYU Moving Image Archiving & Preservation Program http://besser.nyu.edu/howard http://www.nyu.edu/tisch/preservation/ How