A Race Against Time:  Preserving Our Audiovisual Media 

 

November 14 & 15, 2005

 

Presented by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts

Held at The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA

 

A Race Against Time:  Preserving Our Audiovisual Media

 

Many of the machine-readable audiovisual collections held by our cultural institutions are in peril.  Therefore, it is crucial to have knowledge about the life expectancy of this diverse group of materials in order to make good preservation decisions. From videotapes and audiotapes to motion picture film, film strips, LPs, 78s, CDs, CD-ROMs, magnetic tape, wax cylinders, and audiocassettes, each of these formats has a critical point at which information will begin to be lost.

 

To maximize the life of these materials, one must understand the nature of the media, causes of deterioration, storage and handling practices, and the various types of playback equipment. Long-term preservation challenges require intervention, including cleaning and reformatting.  Through lectures, discussion, and hands-on experiences, participants in this two-day program will learn the basic principles for managing audiovisual collections.  Contracting with vendors and funding strategies will also be discussed.

 

This program is intended for curators, librarians, archivists, collection managers, and other staff who are involved in managing machine-based media collections in cultural institutions.

 

You are welcome to bring a sample or picture of media or equipment held by your institution learn more about it (or perhaps surprise the presenters with a new format!).

 

LOCATION & TIME

 

The Wistar Institute(located on the University of Pennsylvania campus)

3601 Spruce Street

Philadelphia, PA 

 

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM  Registration and Refreshments

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM  Program

 

Speakers:

Alan Lewis, Consultant in Audiovisual Archives, Washington, DC

Sarah Stauderman, Preservation Manager, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, DC

George Blood, Safe Sound Archive, Philadelphia, PA

Charles Kolb, Senior Program Officer, Division of Preservation and Access,

National Endowment for the Humanities, Washington, DC

 

Funders: The National Endowment for the Humanities, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Claniel Foundation have provided partial support for this program. 

 

Brochure & Registration

 

Workshop brochure and registration form are available on our website at http://www.ccaha.org/workshop_cal.php

 

For information about CCAHA, its programs and services, please visit our website at www.ccaha.org or contact CCAHA’s Preservation Services Office at 215.545.0613 or [log in to unmask]

The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) is a non-profit conservation laboratory serving other non-profit cultural, educational, and research institutions, as well as private individuals and organizations throughout the United States.  Founded in 1977, CCAHA specializes in the treatment of works of art and historic artifacts on paper, such as prints, maps, posters, historic wallpaper, photographs, rare books, scrapbooks, manuscripts, and related materials, such as parchment and papyrus.  It also offers on-site consultation services, educational programs and seminars, emergency assistance, and internships and fellowships.

 

264 South 23rd Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103 USA

Tel.  215.545.0613     

Fax 215.735.9313 

E-mail [log in to unmask]

WWW   www.ccaha.org

 

For information about CCAHA and for additional workshop registration forms, please visit our Web site.