Re: [ARSCLIST] Preservation policy question

[Mwcpc6@xxxxxxx]

I have the same problem. We are preserving the original recordings, on 
various media, as artifacts.  The 1/4" copies, with some audio processing, were to 
be used for access and as masters for copies on request. Now it is more 
practical to copy and distribute CDs, or to put the material online, so there is no 
reason to keep the 1/4" material after transferring to digital.

However it is still possible that the tape will outlast the digital copies, 
especially since we do not have the resources to support commercial digital 
archiving.  I would like to see the tape copies go to a private enthusiast who 
would be interested in the material and/or the format for his own irrational 
perceived benefits, thereby providing another path to possible preservation of 
the historical material.

Of course institutional, copyright, and rights issues may prevent this.

Mike Csontos




In a message dated 12/8/2005 10:09:02 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
Ganesh.Irelan@xxxxxxxx writes:
Hello all,

I work in a private institution's audio archive.  In 1995 I started copying 
original, historical audio recordings to 1/4" analog tape and 2 each CD-Rs (one 
for on-site and one for off-site storage) for longterm preservation.  Last 
year, when the analog tape plants closed, I decided it was time to drop analog 
tape as an archival format and switched to .wav files.  Now I copy each 
original source to 2 each CD-Rs and .wav file stored on a secure, server based 
system.  

My question is whether to keep the 300+ analog tapes we have.  They require 
significant storage space that could be used for other archival holdings.   
And, I have already gone back and created .wav files (via disc extraction) for 
all the content on the analog tape copies.  With two digital sources protected 
by geographic separation available, and with only a small part of the total 
collection represented on the analog copies in question, I can come up with no 
plausible scenario by which the analog tapes would be of benefit, now or in the 
future.

Would you keep the tapes or dispose of them?

Thank you.
Sincerely,

Kevin Irelan