Re: [ARSCLIST] Sound Directions publication

[Marie OConnell <Marie.OConnell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Excellent work!

Marie O'Connell
Analogue Tape Preservation Archivist
Sound Archives/Nga Taonga Korero
PO Box 1531
Radio New Zealand House
Level 1, 51 Chester Street West
Christchurch
Phone  +64 3 374 8443
Fax  + 64 3 374 8448
www.soundarchives.co.nz 

>>> micasey@xxxxxxxxxxx 6/12/2007 3:16 a.m. >>>
Dear ARSCLIST members,

The Sound Directions project team is pleased to announce that the
publication of our findings is now available on the web. Below you will
find the official "press release" with details on access to the
document. It is our sincerest hope that you find the document useful and
well worth the wait.

Mike Casey

----------
Mike Casey
Associate Director for Recording Services
Archives of Traditional Music
Indiana University

(812)855-8090

Co-Chair, ARSC Technical Committee


The Sound Directions project at Harvard University and Indiana
University announces the publication of Sound Directions: Best Practices
for Audio Preservation, which is available as a PDF from the Sound
Directions website at www.dlib.indiana.edu/projects/sounddirections/.
This 168-page publication presents the results of two years of research
and development funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities in
the United States. This work was carried out by project and permanent
staff at both institutions in consultation with an advisory board of
experts in audio engineering, audio preservation, and digital
libraries.

Sound Directions: Best Practices for Audio Preservation establishes
best practices in many areas where they did not previously exist. This
work also explores the testing and use of existing and emerging
standards. It includes chapters on personnel and equipment for
preservation transfer, digital files, metadata, storage, preservation
packages and interchange, and audio preservation systems and workflows.
Each chapter is divided into two major parts: a preservation overview
that summarizes key concepts for collection managers and curators,
followed by a section that presents recommended technical practices for
audio engineers, digital librarians, and other technical staff. This
latter section includes a detailed look at the inner workings of the
audio preservation systems at both Harvard and Indiana.

This first phase of the Sound Directions project produced four key
results: the publication of our findings and best practices, the
development of much needed software tools for audio preservation, the
creation or further development of audio preservation systems at each
institution, and the preservation of a large number of critically
endangered and highly valuable recordings. All of these are detailed in
this publication, which provides solid grounding for institutions
pursuing audio preservation either in-house or in collaboration with an
outside vendor.

For further information on the Sound Directions project:
soundir@xxxxxxxxxxx