Re: [ARSCLIST] environment controls

[Hannah Frost <hfrost@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 08:21 AM 10/24/2003 -0400, Joe Iraci wrote:
> Retensioning on a regular basis in many cases will have no value
> and in fact may damage tape if the rewinding is performed on cheap
> rewinders or equipment that is dirty or not properly aligned.


Not to mention that the process of retensioning a tape archive takes a
great deal of precious staff time. When you factor in the risk involved in
unnecessary handling, it becomes clear that there are more productive
things that can be accomplished to care for the collection in the time it
takes to retension: surveying for materials at risk, grant writing,
reformatting, and so forth.


Hannah Frost
Media Preservation Librarian
Stanford University Libraries


> f storage conditions are good and there has not been wide fluctuations in
> storage conditions, then I don't think it is necessary to retention tapes
> every three months.
>
>
>
>                       Jerome Hartke
>                       <jhartke@MSCIENCE        To:
> ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>                       .COM>                    cc:
>                       Sent by:                 Subject:  Re: [ARSCLIST]
> environment controls
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>                       Recorded Sound
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>
>                       23/10/2003 10:29
>                       PM
>                       Please respond to
>                       jhartke
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Holly Dzyban wrote:
> >
> > Has anyone been involved in setting up a
> > temperature/humidity-controlled environment for storing audiocassettes
> > and CDs?
> >
> > I am trying to set up an audio archive in a relatively underfunded and
> > poorly housed program. In this theoretical archive, we will have
> > roughly 5000 CDs, a few hundred cassette tapes, VHS videotapes,
> > digital video tapes...and MAYbe reel-to-reels. We've got a basement
> > facility with cinderblock walls, standard ac/heat and exposed pipes.
> >
> > I know I'm going to have to find grants or sell my internal organs
> > to get a decently housed archive going, so I'd like to know what I'm
> > getting myself into.
> >
> > Wiha
>
> Slightly cool and slightly dry should do it. 41-77 degrees F and 20-50%
> RH is acceptable. 50 degrees F would be optimum. Avoid sudden changes.
>
> You may need a dehumidifier for certain times of the year. Buy a good
> measuring instrument to find out. Cheap, hardware store humidity gauges
> are worthless.
>
> Initial, as-recorded quality is more important than a precise
> temperature and humidity condition. Regular retensioning of the tapes is
> important. Every three months would be desirable.
>
> Jerry
> Media Sciences, Inc.
> http://www.mscience.com/

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