RE: [AV Media Matters] Audio Vinegar Syndrome

[llufrio@icaic.inf.cu]

The reason for using medical terms, and equating acetate
decomposition with
a contagious disease, is just a way to make things understandable
for those
without chemistry knowledge.

Not only archivists, who through daily contact and years of experience may
gain some self education in these matters (like through reading threads as
this on the list), but the purse holders, the people you have to
convince to
give you money for improving storage vaults conditions, may never
understand
what on earth the breakdown of a molecule or a hydrolysis is.

The most convincing way is to show them a piece of degraded film, and tell
them it's a contagious disease that affects film (or tape for
that matter).
They will be thankful you spared them the uncomprehensible
technical jargon,
and they'll understand your request for separate vaults for acidic and non
acidic films (avoiding contagion).

José E. Llufrío
<llufrio@icaic.inf.cu>