Re: arsclist Conference- Informal Meetings

[Hannah Frost <hfrost@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In case this link has not yet made its way to ARSClist, here is the URL
to some preliminary research on the matter carried out by the Smithsonian
Center for Materials Research and Education:
http://www.si.edu/scmre/mail_irradiation.html.
Apparently there is a small task force working now on such things as
collecting samples of materials to be tested by the company that was
hired by the USPS to irradiate first-class mail and flats sent to zip
codes starting with 202-205 and communicating with government entities
(e.g., Office of Homeland Security) about the effects of irradiation on
cultural materials. 

Hannah Frost

At 10:58 AM 5/6/2002 -0400, you wrote:
> We need
> to get more hard data on the way various materials are being irradiated
> and demagnetized via the many shipping services in the US.
>  
> I'm hoping we can get a good pooling of info
> going on this at ARSC to separate rumor from reality.
>  
> It divides into damage to CDS and to
> magnetically recorded materials.
>  
> I'm beginning to suspect that much of the damage is being done in the
> mail reception facilities at large institutions, particularly government
> ones, and much less elsewhere.  
>  
> Let's try to keep it within one degree of separation.
>  
> The outcome should include a posting to this list after the
> conference.
>  
> Steve Smolian
>  
>  
> =========================
> Steven Smolian    301-694-5134
> Smolian Sound Studios
> ---------------------------------------------------
> CDs made from old recordings,
> Five or one or lifetime hoardings,
> Made at home or concert hall,
> Text and pics explain it all.
> at www.soundsaver.com
> =========================

________________________
Hannah Frost
Media Preservation Librarian
Stanford University Libraries