Re: [ARSCLIST] Preservation policy question

["Watsky, Lance" <lwatsky@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kevin,

The originals will deteriorate over time - all that you can do is to
slow down the rate of deterioration by storing in proper environments.
As such, I could clearly see an argument to keep one extra 1/4" to serve
as preservation back-up for the original, or to use as a sub-master for
future reformatting. 

Another way to answer the question of whether or not to keep the
originals and possibly another copy - would be to appraise the value of
the recordings to your institution. You have already made your access
copies, but now you will have to determine the value of the originals
based on the following:

*	Their operating, administrative, legal, and fiscal values
*	Their evidential and informational value (research or historical
value)
*	Their arrangement and physical condition
*	Their intrinsic value 
*	Their relationship to other records at your institution

Lance Watsky
Georgia Archives
Preservation & Media Specialist
lwatsky@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx






-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ganesh.Irelan@xxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2005 8:33 AM
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ARSCLIST] Preservation policy question

To be clear, my question about whether to keep 1/4" analog tapes
pertains to 1/4" copies only for which we have multiple digital copies.
Of course, we will be retaining the originals.

Thank you,

Kevin Irelan


The value of originals is in two forms...

1) In case some ultimate disaster wipes out your digital
archive, or

2) In case there is some reason to verify that your
copies are actually identical (in a preactical sense)
to the actual sound recordings.

Keep Murphy's Law in mind...!

Steven C. Barr