Re: Videotape Preservation Question (long), fwd

[Richard Boyden <richard.boyden@sanbruno.nara.gov>]

FYI from RECMGMT list 9/25 

Date:    Thu, 24 Sep 1998 12:43:45 -0700
From:    David Wexler <david@HOLLYWOODVAULTS.COM>
Subject: Re: Videotape Preservation Question (long)

A general question from the Records Management side of things.  We do get videotapes occasionally from depositions, trials, etc. and no one has really faced up to the fact that they require special storage.  Lawyers have never heard of such a thing, therefore it doesn't exist.
REPLY
Magnetic media including video & audio tape, have a much shorter life
than paper documents. If stored under unfavorable conditions, tapes can
become unplayable in as few as five years. In order to extend their
useful lives they should be stored in cool, dry, stable environments.
Cool = 40_F to 65_F
Dry = 25%RH to 50%RH
Stable = +or- 10%
The cooler the better, the dryer the better, the fewest fluctuations in
a month the better. Factors include the age of the tape, the conditions under which they have been stored, what shape they are in, the value of the tapes, the time frame of their likely usefulness in the future and the requirements for records retention purposes.

I'm wondering about the plastic bags and what moisture or other
contaminants they might trap?
REPLY
Some sort of protection for the cassettes would be a good idea.
Protection from dirt and dust, physical damage and particularly water.
If the room or building they are stored in has a water sprinkler system,
some type of protection is very important. Most video cassettes are in
plastic cases. Adding a plastic bag would be OK if the tapes are
pre-conditioned before closing the bag.  Pre-conditioning is making sure
the tape is nice and dry before sealing the bag. This is done by leaving
the tapes in a dry area for a few days or weeks. Silica gel bags can be
inserted into the bags to absorb moisture as well. (The use of plastic
bags in not recommended for film, which needs to out-gas). Most film and tape archives do not use bags around video tape.

Also, won't some plastics retain some electrostatic energy that could corrupt the tapes?
REPLY
This is generally not a problem.

And, lastly, there used to be a practice of rewinding computer tapes every 6 months to balance the stress on the tape. Does this hold true for videotapes as well?
REPLY
This is generally not a practice with video tapes but it is a good idea
with audio tapes to prevent �print-through� problems.

I have a general question regarding videotape preservation (standard size, color VHS tapes).  Someone has asked me what type of equipment is necessary to best preserve videotape - I would like everyone's opinion
on this
REPLY
Rather then talk about equipment, let's talk about what type of protection we are talking about for preserving videotape. Here at Hollywood Vaults we are concerned with the following hazards:
Heat
Moisture
Fire
Smoke
Water
Flood
Dust and dirt
Magnetic fields
Un-authorized access
Theft
Illegal duplication
Format obsolescence (would you be able to run a 5.25 inch floppy disk in
your computer today? The same problem is going on with audio and video formats)  Each potential hazard is addressed by specialized equipment depending on the building, the size of the collection, the value, access requirements etc. etc.

I was thinking of recommending (in an ideal situation) refrigeration of an original copy of the videotape (possibly in some kind of acid-free plastic bag to help minimize damage), with one copy kept in a controlled air-conditioned environment for general use.
REPLY
The ideal situation is to keep a reference copy in your office for
day-to-day use. Keep the master tape in an off-site facility, and a
duplicate master in another, geographically removed location. Your plan
will depend on the value and future use of the tapes.

I would appreciate any comments regarding the best type of preservation system that could be implemented, down to a practical type of system - including information on specific types of refrigerators (frost-free, presumably), problems encountered, costs, and other things that should be considered on the preservation side
REPLY
Refrigerators can be used to store magnetic media if the humidity can be
controlled. This is accomplished by the micro-environment of the
packaging as mentioned above. Freezers are sometimes used for preserving film, as mentioned in previous threads on this list. Magnetic media is not often frozen due to the migration of lubricants in the tape to the surface in the form of a white powder. More research is needed in this area. Here at Hollywood Vaults we store some film and photographs at 0_F and the balance of the facility is maintained at 45_ F at 25% RH. Please feel free to call with additional questions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David Wexler, President
HOLLYWOOD VAULTS, Inc.
Preservation-Quality Storage for Film, Tape & Digital Media
742 Seward Street,  Hollywood California  90038-3504 USA
Phone: 323/461-6464,  800/569-5336
Fax:     323/461-6479,  805/569-1657
E-Mail: mailto:david@hollywoodvaults.com
Web:    http://www.hollywoodvaults.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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