THE SECTION 108 DILEMMA: RED TAPE, VIDEOTAPE, AND DIGITAL CONVERSION

VENDOR EXPERTISE: BLC AUDIO REFORMATTING Media Community of Interest April 26, 2019

BRYCE ROE, MANAGER of AUDIO PRESERVATION SERVICES [email protected]

NORTHEAST DOCUMENT CONSERVATION CENTER AGENDA

• A bit about NEDCC

• Outsourcing digitization: when and why

• Working with vendors • Identification, evaluation and selection of vendor(s) • Prepping for outsourced digitization • What to expect with completed project

• Resources NEDCC is a nonprofit that serves collections- holding institutions nationwide by offering conservation treatment, digital imaging, audio preservation, assessments and consultations, training programs, disaster assistance, and free web resources. AUDIO PRESERVATION SERVICES

• Conservation/Preservation • Cleaning, re-housing, repair • Mold remediation • Stabilization/mitigation of “sticky-shed” • Digital imaging and conservation of original containers and related materials

• Consulting • Collection/item-level assessments of audio holdings/carriers • Workshops, webinars, customized training, AV online Textbook

NORTHEAST DOCUMENT CONSERVATION CENTER PRESERVATION REFORMATTING

Magnetic Audio Grooved Media

• ¼” Open-reel audio tape With IRENE • • Lacquer disc • (DAT) • Aluminum transcription disc • Wax cylinder • Tin foil • Other rare formats

With Stylus • Metal master disc • Long-play (LP) vinyl disc • Shellac disc IRENE

Non-contact approach

Able to digitize damaged, fragile media

NORTHEAST DOCUMENT CONSERVATION CENTER IRENE AUDIO PRESERVATION AT NEDCC

2015 Mellon awards NEDCC grant to support development of audio preservation services

• formats

• Unique collections

• Specialized workflow… WORKFLOW

1:1, fully-attended transfers • One audio engineer transfers one recording at a time

100% quality control • Complete recording is listened to as it is being digitized AUDIO PRESERVATION AT NEDCC

Strict adherence to professional standards • IASA, FADGI, NARA

Fully-informed consent • AIC Code of Ethics • Using only vetted techniques; never “proprietary”

Thorough documentation and communication AUDIO PRESERVATION AT NEDCC

Good candidates • Unique collections where “stakes are high” • Fragile collections that are too risky to be transferred unattended • Clients with limited time/resources to completely listen to deliverables

• Ethnographic field recordings; • Live recordings of music, speeches; • Unique recordings of historical events WHEN/WHY TO OUTSOURCE

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

E.g., • Track configuration • Recording speed • Dolby STABILIZATION/REPAIR THE SIGNAL PATH TARGET FORMATS

Preservation Master: Broadcast Wave • Faithful, accurate digital surrogate of analog material

• Captured “Flat”

• Uncompressed

• At least: 48kHz 24bit, Ideally: 96kHz 24bit resolution (depending on analog format)

• Digital: captured at native sampling rate and bit depth

• Embedded technical metadata

• Head and Tail content DERIVATIVES

• Intermediate or Mezzanine • High-quality version, but ready for use in standard systems (often lower resolution that PM, but higher than access) • A copy from which additional access copies can be made

• Access: • Identify common uses • Generally lower resolution (lossy compression), enables streaming and sharing • Signal processing and trimming to improve user experiences PREPARATION AND PLANNING FOR DIGITIZATION PREP FOR DIGITIZATION

COMMUNICATION! Client • Clear articulation of needs and specifications • Input (e.g., open-reel tape, cassette), output (e.g. 96-khz, 24- bit WAVE files) AND specifications to ensure preservation-oriented workflows and practices, quality assurance and control measures

Vendor • Ask questions, offer suggestions, updates at logical points throughout the project WORKING WITH VENDORS

Reach out early • Call or email • More formal: RFP or RFQ

Evaluate • Security, storage and handling practices as well as reformatting processes • Adherence to industry standards and best practices (IASA TC-04, FADGI, NARA)

Selection: • based on fit for your collection and needs • You can use more than one vendor DIGITIZATION WORKFLOWS

1:1 Parallel • Fully-attended • “High-throughput” • Heterogeneous, less • Large and homogeneous predictable collections collections • Individual calibration • Riskier • Slower and more costly • Faster and less costly

Consider: • Content Value • Fragility and technical requirements of media • Quality Assurance resources PREP FOR DIGITIZATION

Know what you have  Inventory

• Minimum • Unique ID • Format • Location • Title

• Better • Description • Date • Part • Copyright/restrictions

• For vendors: • Duration • Brand • Date • Condition • Physical examination, photos Consider starting with a pilot PREP FOR DIGITIZATION

Know what you want • Goals for project • Preservation goals • Access goals Can inform file specifications, metadata and delivery

Proper handling, packaging and shipment • Store/ship in original containers or suitable archival case • Expedited shipping to limit amount of time in transit • For especially fragile items: in-person delivery, courier, fine arts handler • Segregate and flag moldy materials

Know what you’ll do with digital files and analog carriers • QC • Long-term physical storage RESOURCES

PSAP Collection ID Guide • https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide

NEDCC AV Textbook • https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/fundamentals-of-av- preservation

ARSC Guide to Audio Preservation • https://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub164/

IASA TC-05 Handling and Storage of Audio and Video Carriers • https://www.iasa-web.org/handling-storage-tc05 HOW TO APPROACH NEDCC

Call or Email! • Proposals are a consultation, not a price matrix

Physical examination or photos of carriers • Secure, climate controlled storage • No storage fees for pending projects • Packing and shipping tips on website

Inventory or summary statistics • We provide template with information we need to estimate cost

Website • “About Audio” and “Working with Audio Preservation” • Funding opportunities THANK YOU!

WWW.NEDCC.ORG

BRYCE ROE Q&A MANAGER OF AUDIO PRESERVATION SERVICES, NEDCC [email protected] THE MEDIAPRESERVE: SEAMLESS SERVICE AT ANY SCALE

Boston Library Consortium Symposium April 26, 2019

Dawn Aveline, MLIS Director of Preservation Programs Preservation Technologies [email protected]

WHO WE ARE EXPERTISE • Preservation • Libraries and Archives • Film • Audio • Vi d e o • Logistics • Quality Control • Metadata • Information Technology WHAT WE DO VIDEO AUDIO AUDIO 1" 1/4 Data Cartridge Fidelipac B Type 1" EV 16mm full-coat mag Glass Disc FILM 1 " IVC 3/4" 1630 U-matic Grooved Disc 16mm 1" Type A 3/4" U-matic Grundig Dictation Tape 16mm filmstrip 1" Type B 35mm full-coat mag Helical 17.5mm 1" Type C 8-Tra ck Hi8 22mm 1/2" CV 8mm Data Tape IC Re corde r 25mm 1/2" EIAJ I and II ADAT Lacquer Disk 28mm 1/2" non-EIAJ open reel Cassette MD-SG 35mm 1/2"Video CD-A 35mm filmstrip 1/4" Video CD-R MiniDV 35mm full-coat mag 16mm Fullcoat MAG DA-88 Minicassette 70mm 2" Helical DAB MiniDisc 8mm 2" Quad

PROCESS

Quality File Return of Shipping Check-In Ingest Metadata Control delivery originals SECURE TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS CHECK-IN INGEST: AUDIO CASSETTES 24-TRACK 2” AUDIO OPEN-REEL WIRE INGEST: VIDEO INGEST: FILM QUALITY CONTROL METADATA FILE DELIVERY CHALLENGES THANK YOU!

Dawn Aveline, MLIS Director of Preservation Programs Preservation Technologies 800-416-2665 ext 255 [email protected]