ALA Audio Preservation Preconference

[rpeek@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Peek, Richard)]

                 "The Transformation of Recorded Sound
                  Preservation in the Digital Age"

                  Preconference to the ALA Annual Conference, Washington, DC
                  Friday, June 26, 1998
                  9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

                  [To be held at the National Archives Building Theater
                  700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW]

                  Presented by the Preservation and Reformatting Section
                  Photographic and Recording Media Committee
                  Association for Library Collecitons & Technical Services
                  a division of the American Library Association

                  Co-Sponsors:
                  Society of American Archivists
                  National Archives and Records Administration

                  The Research Libraries Group has graciously underwritten 
some of the
                  expenses of this preconference.

                  Goals and Objectives:
                  The presentations will address the following topics: the 
advantages and
                  disadvantages of analog vs. digital technologies, 
strategies for coping with
                  the change from analog to digital, evolving acquisition, 
access and
                  preservation policies, and the latest technologies and 
standards.

                  The preconference will be an expanded version of the 1997 
Society of
                  American Archivists annual conference program, "Dealing 
with the
                  Transformation: Analog and Digital Technologies in 
Recorded Sound
                  Collections." Speakers will review current practices for 
acquiring,
                  preserving and enhancing access to sound collections, and 
assessing the
                  advantages and disadvantages offered by the analog and 
digital
                  technologies. Strategies will be discussed for coping with 
the increasing
                  replacement of analog by digital products and practices. 
The
                  presentations will focus on the changing nature of 
recording and
                  communications technologies and how these changes will 
likely impact
                  the key activities of acquisition, preservation, and 
access.

                  Participants should expect to leave the preconference with 
a better
                  understanding of the scope of the transformation occurring 
in sound
                  recording and communications technologies, and of the many 
factors to
                  be considered as library and archival programs contemplate 
the shift
                  towards increasing use of digital technologies.

                  Audience:
                  Librarians or archivists involved with audio collections 
who are
                  concerned about the shifting trend towards digital 
technologies.

                  Faculty:
                  Gerry Gibson, Audio and Moving Image Preservation 
Specialist,
                  Preservation, Research and Testing Division, Library of 
Congress;
                  Charles Hardy, Oral historian, Associate Professor of 
History, West
                  Chester University; Alan Lewis, Audio-Visual Expert, NARA, 
Special
                  Media Archives Division; William Storm, Consultant; Dave 
Wickstrom,
                  Consultant; Jim Wheeler, Consultant; Moderator: Richard 
Peek, Head,
                  Preservation Department, University of Rochester 
Libraries.

                  Tentative Program Outline
                    8:00-9:00 a.m.
                                 Registration
                    9:00-9:10 a.m.
                                 Welcome and Introduction - Peek
                    9:10-9:50 a.m.
                                 Sound Recording in the Digital Age: A 
Report
                                 from the Field - Hardy
                    9:50-10:30  a.m.
                                 Understanding the Requirements: Digital
                                 Access to Sound and Moving Images - Storm
                    10:30-10:55 a.m.
                                 Networking Break
                    10:55-11:25  a.m.
                                 Contracting for Preservation Services. The
                                 many considerations for preparing a vendor
                                 contract for audio transfer. - Lewis
                    11:25-12:10 p.m.
                                 How Do They Do That?: Audio Tape Transfer
                                 Specifics. A basic overview of how things
                                 work electronically.-Wickstrom
                    12:10-1:30 p.m.
                                 Lunch on your own
                    1:30-2:10 p.m.
                                 Current Practices for Storing and Handling
                                 Audio Materials. The best practices for
                                 acquiring, processing, and storing audio
                                 materials. -- Gibson
                    2:10-2:45 p.m.
                                 Preserving Digital Tapes. The problems
                                 associated with digital tape preservation,
                                 environmental testing, and storage
                                 considerations.-Wheeler
                    2:45-3:10 p.m.
                                 Networking Break
                    3:10-3:55 p.m.
                                 Panel discussion, Questions and Answers --
                                 All faculty
                    3:55-4:05 p.m.
                                 Concluding remarks and acknowledgments -
                                 Peek


                  A registration form and other useful information can be 
found on the ALCTS homepage:
                    http://www.ala.org/alcts/events/preconference98

 I would gladly answer any questions sent to directly.
Richard Peek
Head, Preservation Dept.
University of Rochester
rpeek@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(716) 275-9285