OMAN. Restructuring and computerization. Oman Television. of the Central Library of Television Programmes, by R. Egeter van Kuyk

Transcription

1 Restricted Technical Report RP/ / OMAN Development of audiovisual archives i Restructuring and computerization of the Central Library of Television Programmes, Oman Television by R. Egeter van Kuyk I Serial No. FMWCC/CDF/88/131 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Paris, 1988

2 O M A N RESTRUCTURING AND COMPUTERIZATION OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARY OF TELEVISION PROGRAMMES, OMAN TELEVISION by R. Egeter van Kuyk Report prepared for the Government of the Sultanate of Oman by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) U N E S C O

3 Technical Report. RP/ / FMR/CC/CDF/88/131(Egeter van Kuyk) 30 December Unesco 1988 Printed in France

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS I INTRODUCTION Page 1 I1 MAIN FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS 1 A. The situation as observed 1 B. Technical guidelines. 2 a) Definition of users requirements 2 b) Design of input formats 3 c) Criteria for the selection of television programmes 5 d) Preservation of Oman Television 16 mm film 6 e) New library premises 7 f) Stock-taking 7 I11 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE ACTION 7 Appendix 1: Sample input format, TV Library Stock Control System 9 Appendix 2: Sample input format, TV Library Documentary Information 10 System

5 -1- I INTRODUCTION 1. The mission described in the present report was carried out from 19 June to 3 July 1988 following an invitation from the Ministry of Information of the Sultanate of Oman, and funded by Unesco under its Regular Programme for The mission was undertaken by Robert Egeter van Kuyk, Unesco consultant. 2. The terms of reference of the mission were to prepare a plan for the organization and computerization of the Television Library Service at Oman Television, Ministry of Information, Muscat. I1 MAIN FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS A. The situation as observed 3. Since telecasts were initiated in the mid-l970s, Oman Television has kept its foreign and national programmes on both film and videotape in the television library. As priority had to be given to other developments in television, library work could not be given the necessary attention as to management or professional organization and training. In the course of the years, the collection has been located at various places in the broadcasting and television complex, that did not offer the required climatic and other conditions for the safe-keeping of films and tapes; materials were often left in the care of (foreign) staff without professional background. The stored television programmes became progressively less accessible; both because of an inadequate cataloguing system, and because over half the video tape collection consists of 2" tapes that can be used only with outdated equipment. At present the library contains about 25,000. tapes, of which about 15,000 are 2" tapes. It has.a staff of seven, of whom two deal with foreign programmes and one with storing tapes and maintenance of the storage areas. These areas are not suitable for storing video tapes or films. 4. The decision of Oman Television management to build a storage area with modern compact shelving units with a capacity of about 130,000 tapes, proper climatic conditions, and fire and theft protection, led to a concomitant and timely decision, namely, to set up an automated documentation and stock control system, and to seek advice on its implementation and implications. 'b 5. The project covers not only the formulation of users' demands in. preparing the automated information systems, but also the definition of information flow and of the environment in which the systems will be expected to function. These parameters have to be decided upon before any system is introduced. The definition of the environment includes an analysis of foreseeable library staff activities, compared to the present situation, the library structure, and the required professional training. There is also a subproject for the selection of programmes on 2" tapes, and their transcription on modern 1" tapes.

6 -2-6. Regarding the geographical dimension, not only the library in Muscat has to be analysed and restructured, but also the one located in Salalah. In order to maximize the potential of a single integrated computer programme within the organization, the radio programmes library may also be included in the project. 7. A third dimension of the project is the importance of television programmes as part of the Omani national heritage and as a source for scientific research, among other things to contribute to social and economic development. The selection and analysis of programmes has to be concerned with this wider scope, and possibly requires some form of co-operation with the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture. B. Technical guidelines Definition of users' requirements 8. The purpose of defining input formats following the international Minimum Data List guidelines as defined by the International Federation of Television Archives (IFTA) is to make sure that each programme on tape, as well as each tape and film, can be identified and retrieved. Appendices 1 and 2 suggest input formats, based on discussion with the TV Library staff, and reflect present practice in other TV libraries. Programmes are identified by their title, a single registration number, and a summary of their content, as well as by. keywords to facilitate answering questions. This summary should be sufficiently detailed for the user to see at once, for example, the songs sung in the programme, the locations shown, the people singing or otherwise engaged in the production, etc. To be efficient, an automated system should enable the Library to retrieve all programmes by their titles, by keywords and by random access (also called 'free text'). Further details have to be prepared on the documentation system, together with maintenance guidelines. Within the Library, practical professional experience is required if the Library is to accept responsibility for the documentation system. 9. Another important element in designing the documentation system is whether or not it may be used outside the Library for consultation/selection by the various categories of users within the organization. 10. The purpose of an inventory control system based on the identification referred to above is: (a) to register technical information about a tape or a film, such as possible damage, technical characteristics, etc.; (b) to control the movements of a tape or a film; and (c) to control the worklocd of the library staff (how many tapes are coming in during a specified period, how many have already been catalogued, how many 2" tapes remain to be selected, etc.). 11. It is not clear if financial information will be put in the 'library information network', or in a future financial information network within Oman Television. The needs of the Finance Section have at present been identified as follows: dates of telecasting name of company - rates and conditions of use and of payment (restricted information) '- dates of LPO, OTV payment order and Ministry of Finance payment,

7 -3- with related numbers - budget control information (restricted information). 12. It is recommended: (a) to integrate the three types of information into a network in such a way that by identifying a programme or a tape by its number the user can key in the code, for the required programme and,? I receive all relevant information without having to search into separate data banks; and (b) to use these systems for both television libraries. 13, Further definition of search elements, memory capacity requirements and speed of retrieval/selection has to be undertaken by working group formed by users, the computer supplier and possibly outside specialists. b) Design of formats 14. The purpose of the documentation and stock control formats is to make sure that the necessary minimum amount of information is registered for each tape, film and programme. The lay-out of the formats may be changed; they should be able to operate in English or Arabic. 15. Each tape or film can be retrieved by its registration number. Each programme can be retrieved by its programme number, its title or alternative title, or series title. In the documentation system, programmes can be selected throughout the entire Library collection by a combination of: keywords, geographical names and personal names random access ('free text' ) company dates of production and arrival - producer. 16. The selection procedure should eventually make it possible to find, for instance, all songs from various regions or countries selected by genre, region or singer. By retrieving the number of programmes per arrival date it is also possible to see how much cataloguing work is to be done. This presupposes the use of a list of authorized keywords as well as a selection of words that are not used in random access and, naturally, the technical possibility to execute the queries. 17. Whereas the documentation'system should produce a screen containing full content information per programme, the stock control system should produce full technical information per tape or film. If necessary, the financial information system discussed could be made into a third system I that produces, per programme, the information listed in para In addition the stock control system must produce the following 1 information: total number of tapes and films in stock number per type (2" or 1" tape, 16 mm film, etc.) growth of the number of tapes/films over any given period of time numbers and titles of programmes related to dates of arrival telecast dates related to the title/number of programmes listings of tapes/films with specified technical defects - specifications of tapes copied to Salalah or third parties.

8 Some information will be shown repeatedly through the three systems, such as titles, technical specifications, dates of production or arrival, etc. These data should be generated automatically for all systems when they are fed into the system for the first time. 20. Information recorded should include: - Registration number, an alphanumerical code of maximum 10 characters, ). that identifies each tape or film and classifies its content. Example: DOC (maximum: XXX). Suggested codings for the extension are: DOC all documentary programmes except those under CUL FFA feature productions DRA drama, theatre productions including comedies, sketches CUL cultural programmes CHI children's programmes ANI animation films SPO sports productions REL all religious productions EDU = educational productions including family programmes - Programme number, an alphanumerical code of maximum 12 characters, that identifies each programme. Programme numbers are extended registration numbers because there may be more than one programme on a tape or a film. Sample: DOC = the second documentary on tape If tape contains only one programme the number is DOC. 21. If a programme consists of more than one tape or film it could be registered under its first number with reference to the other numbers. This does not apply to series, which are registered under their individual components. Sample: First programme number DOC. Add: "this programme consists of three tapes. See also DOC and DOC." 22. For stock control each tape/film is registered individually regardless of its content: number of items on tape = serves as secondary information to the user title = the official title of a production alternative title = some programmes are well known under an 'unofficial' title. If so this title must be mentioned. series title = only to be used if a programme is part of a series producer = the 'author' of a film or a video production copyrighted by = determines the person/organization who holds copyright (necessarily the source (company) of programme) medium video tape or film format = 2", l", Betacam, 16 mm, 35 mm duratiodlength = duration of a tape, length of a film languare = language used. If, for instance, English with Arab subtitles mention: E. subt. AR keywords, geographical and personal names = should be written uniformly. These fields are instrumental in retrieving information and must be used with special care. Keywords may only be used if they are authorized by the head of TV Library. summary = a brief summary is usually sufficient for W Library needs. If a programme is considered of historical importance after some time, a more detailed summary may be necessary after some time.

9 -5- c) Criteria for the selection of television programmes (i) General remarks 23. A selection of telecast programmes has to be made, as it is neither practical nor financially possible to keep all of them. In order to avoid '1 as far as possible erasure of what might, after all, be an important programme, the selection should be decided upon from different points of. view. A programme is not necessarily uninteresting because it has not been L re-used for a long time. There may be many reasons why it has not been telecast more than once; perhaps it was not known that this particular programme was in the Library. As a general rule, therefore, no programme should come up for selection before it is at least five years old. 24. Selection should never depend on the possible financial consequences of keeping programmes in the Library. In other words: keeping or erasing a programme should depend on whether or not it is a good or important programme. The importance of most programmes can only be ascertained after a period of time, because very often a programme that seemed of no outstanding interest at the time it was telecast becomes an important document in retrospect. This is the second reason why no programme should come up for selection before it is at least five years old. (ii) Technica1,criteria 25. The technical condition of a programme could be a good reason for destroying or erasing it if, for example, a film is scratched or very discoloured or incomplete, or if a video tape is deformed or otherwise technically unsatisfactory. In general television programmes must be kept at telecast quality because they are likely to be re-used in the future. However, old films and video tapes may be both important as to their content, and poor as to their technical condition. In this case priority is given to their importance, because even if they can no longer be telecast, they are still important as documents for national heritage or research, and may be worth the cost of restoring. This has to be decided for each programme. (iii) Selection criteria concerning 2" tapes and historical films 26. The disposal of 2" tapes and of the considerable stock of old films is an urgent matter. Existing international selection criteria will have to be adapted to suit the situation. They have to be applied by a small group of Oman TV staff who will'probably have to work full-time for three years to select the programmes. Since 2" recorders are not produced any more, one (but preferably two) will have to be maintained in good working order with a sure supply of spare parts. (iv) Content criteria 27. Although no selection process can be perfect and foolproof, some measure of insurance against error is possible through the application of pre-established selection criteria. The following criteria have been formulated by IFTA and should be discussed within Oman TV before they become, after suitable adaptation, formal guidelines for selection of Oman TV programmes.

10 All programmes covering activities of HM the Sultan and of the Royal family, or important political, social or cultural events on a national, regional and perhaps also local scale. There is however no need to select duplicates of programmes that are already in the Library. - Programmes on people who are considered, either by their contemporaries or by historical consensus, as persons of importance in any field (politics, culture, sports, science, military, etc. ). - - Events of sociological interest, such as: aspects of daily life in Omani towns or villages, plays, documentaries, children's programmes, popular entertainment, special religious events Programmes that show geographical places (villages, regions, valleys, areas, parts of towns), in particular if the programmes are related to social and economic development, or environmental changes. - Programmes that have been important for the history of Omani telecasting itself (e.g. important artistic or technical achievements in Omani television). - Individual programmes or series of programmes that may serve as reference for future producers, or as samples of the development of communication in Oman. Often TV libraries keep one full day of telecasting per year or per 6 months, to keep documentation of the development of social attitudes an.d of programming practice. - Programmes that concern international events that have been important for the Sultanate (e.g. meetings of Gulf Co-operation Council, Arabic Council or OPEC, or programmes concerning developments in the Arab Gulf situation). 28. The above guidelines, if approved, should apply to all programmes, both Omani and non-omani, in both Arabic and English. d) Preservation of Oman Television 16 mm films 29. A storeroom, a corridor and part of a second storeroom are at present filled with films and film cans. The films are not identified and most are inadequately stored. Although many films and sound-tracks may be destroyed, it is imperative to select and properly store those to be preserved. At a later stage they may be catalogued in the same way as the 2" tape programmes. It is recommended that: J - when the TV Library is moved into its new premises, the 16 mm films be placed in the rear section of the new library. Empty boxes and ' cans may be thrown away, but the films should be temporarily stored in the proper containers. - Winding, storing and preliminary selection of the films can be entrusted to an experienced outside specialist. There should be at least one Omani counterpart, who would then provide in-service training in film handling to the technician(s). An estimated 190,000 ft. of film exist at present. It is strongly recommended that this

11 -7- subproject be discussed by Oman Television and Unesco as soon as possible, as it is likely that the 16 mm films contain important historical programmes that are relevant to the national cultural heritage Meanwhile a strict order has to be issued to the effect that smoking and open fire are prohibited in places where the films are currently stored because the condition of the films is unknown and they may easily catch fire. 5 e) New library premises 31. The present location of the TV Library is not fit for long-term storage of magnetic tapes. There is no adequate air conditioning or fire alarm equipment. The two storage areas are filled well past their capacity. They are also used as working areas, containing paper files, etc., and cannot be properly protected against theft or unauthorized use of tapes. The collection should be moved into the new premises as soon as possible. The library collection can be divided into 'modern' and 'historical' components, because producers usually ask for 'modern', that is recent, programmes. The historical collection consists mainly of 2" tape programmes and 16 mm films and is to be put in the back of the storeroom. Selection and copying should be undertaken as a separate project. The modern collection could be stored nearest to the library staff offices. f) Stock-taking 32. There is no information available at present about the approximate number of programmes in the Library, neither in general nor about the old 2" tapes and films. This information is necessary for a reasonably accurate estimate of the 2" tapes subproject,' and of the duration of the cataloguing activity. By keeping count of the number of incoming tapes and programmes, the registering, cataloguing and storing workload can be appraised as a basis for staffing. 33. The Library staff has been asked to take a representative sample of 250 out of the total 25,000 tapes, and to list for each one: total duration, number of programmes and the duration of each programme. The consultant can then draw elements for definition of the subproject. I11 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE ACTION Detailing of information needs 34. Discussion with the computer firm selected by Oman Television on the basis of users' requirements is recommended. Such discussion can be fruitful only after these needs have been finalized in a preliminary discussion with software specialists of the computer firm. Library personnel size and training 35. The present staff has insufficient professional training, and is too small to discharge its present duties. An analysis should therefore be made of numbers and types of staff required in the future, the workload in

12 ......, each area of activity in sequential timing (e.g. How much time does it take to register/catalogue a programme? How much time does it take to help a producer? etc.) in order to recommend the kind of professional training needed, number of staff to be trained, and the additional categories and number of staff required by the Library. Safeguarding Oman TV films 36. Oman TV needs to have at least one person familiar with the physical treatment of 16 mm films. In-service training should be carried out soon, and could be combined with the start of safeguarding, selecting, storing, etc. of old films.!,j

13 . GMAN TELEVISION -9 - TV Library'Stock Control System SAMPLE Appendix 1 Registration no.: DOC Other numbers: none '3. '3 SO. of items on tape/film: 2 leceived in Library: To Censor: I Titlets): 1:. Songs and dances from the South Primary education in villages I Returned frcm Censor:l 01-0'7-8 7 COPY to Salalah: Series title: Oman, past and present Location Yes No Muscat: Salalah: /7 ff'm n Other: ff /7 Specify medium/format if copy Salalah 'differs from copy Muscat: not' applicable I Medium Format- Duration/length,Language I Col.,b/wl' Date of production 1. 25'10". 1" PAL' I AR colour '00" I State of Dreservatih: defects. Deformation soundtrack Lack of definition Image jumps Bands Colour defects... Tape blocked I... Erasures No defects Remarks': First programme is slightly different in colour from the second Other copies availahle? If so, specify mediumlformat and location: 2 U-Matic cassettes with the Ministry of National Heritage 1 VHS cassette on SECAM system with Oman Embassy, Paris. I :Entered by: Habib Entered (date):

14 ~ prilan TELEVISION _... TV Library Documentary Information System SAMPLE Appendix 2 Registration no.: DOC Other numbers: Received in Library (date): Entered by: Fa tma Title of proqrmme:songs and dances from the South none Other ti tl e( s 1: 5eries title: Oman, past and present Producer: Credit list: Ali b.a. not applicable Copyrighted by: oman TV Telecast dates: , Medi urn Format Duration/length Language 1" PAL n.a: 25 ' 10" AR Colour,.No. of cassettes/ 6/wrfilms * colour 1 Keyw'r'ds: ceremonies i Royal visits / songs / tradition / dances / tribes / Proper names: - tdhofar/salalah / Marbat / Shisr / Rakhyut - Qaboos bin Said, Sultan / Hila1 bin Saud, Wali / Mubarak bin Saleh, Health Minister /, I Remarks: