Re: [ARSCLIST] Storage of audio CDs

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi George:

I'd think heat and light are the worst enemies of archival CD's. So,
anything that keeps out heat and light should be good. I'd avoid wood just
because it's a moisture conductor, and I'd not store valuable content
anywhere steel could develop rust (ie a basement or attic). But most
important, beyond all other factors, is many copies in many places. The best
way to accomplish this, of course, is make your content available online so
many people can download it to many computers in many states/countries. Next
after that is one set or more on-site and several sets at various off-site
locations. In my opinion, a bunker-like climate-controlled storage room is
pretty useless if the building collapses in an earthquake, burns down or has
an airplane crash into it. Much better to spend the money spreading many
copies in many places. One man's opinion, YMMV, etc.

By the way, for all of you with large archives of things like interviews or
field recordings or other non-commercial content you'd like to see more
publicly-available, you might see if Google will catalog and host your
digital files. This sort of thing is right up their alley -- Google Sounds
or something like that. They have the money and resources to afford the
storage and bandwidth to make it widely available. Once enough people know
about and download something, its chances of living a long time (and
mattering a long time) are greatly enhanced.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "George G. Strawley" <strawley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 2:08 PM
Subject: [ARSCLIST] Storage of audio CDs


> Hello:
>
> I am new to this list and even newer to audio archiving, so please forgive
me if my question is old hat for some.
>
> I am researching a plan for our newly created CDs containing once-analog
oral history interviews. I could have sworn I came across some research,
probably on the Web, suggesting that an anodized steel cabinet was preferred
over enameled steel or wood for storing CDs. However, when I went back to
check the information, I couldn't find it among my bookmarks. I checked
NIST, Colorado Digitization Program, LC -- nothing on the subject. Has
anybody ever come across such a recommendation? If so, where? And while
we're at it, what do you use for storing CDs?
>
> Thanks,
>
> George Strawley
> Intern
> Institute of Jazz Studies
> Dana Library
> Rutgers University
> Newark, N.J.