Advice from Audio Preservation Experts

Many recent studies have determined that programs on audio tape must be digitized and the digital files preserved. The following studies review the reasons, the processes, and the standards. In addition to preservation, digitized files can also be used to create CDs and downloadable files so patrons and clients can listen to the programs. For more wisdom from the experts, download these reports.


DocumentDescriptionDownloads / Links
ARSC Technical Committee Preservation of Archival Sound Recordings From The Association of Recorded Sound Collections: Version 1, April 2009 -- recommendations for preserving sound recordings, and more specifically for transferring sound recordings to an archival digital format, based on the state of the art and the technology in 2009. PDF
Audio Magnetic Media Condition Assessment Table of deteriorating conditions and how to deal with them, from The National Archives: How Do I Know If My Materials Are In Good Condition? From the National Archives & Records Administration, October 2014. PDF
Guidelines for the Creation of Digital Collections: Digitization Best Practices for Audio This document sets forth guidelines for digitizing audio materials for CARLI Digital Collections.(Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois.) The issues described concern sample rates, bit-depths, file formats, and equipment for the analog-to-digital conversion of audio materials. Background information on digital audio and a bibliography of selected additional readings are also provided. Revision of 3/21/13. PDF
In Good Faith: Collection Care, Preservation, and Access in Small Theological and Religious Studies Libraries A spring 2014 survey targeted to organizations with staff sizes of less than 5 full-time equivalent, and budgets under $500,000. 235 survey responses were received from a wide variety of organizations, including those which are part of an educational institution, organizations affiliated with churches, synagogues, or other houses of worship, independent libraries and archives, and various other types of theological and religious-based collecting organizations. PDF
Magnetic tape deterioration: recogniton, recovery, and prevention This is a description of difficulties with again audio tape, and where possible, details of how to deal with it. This also includes a chart of problems and solutions. From Gerald D. Gibson, Library of Congress, a presentation at the IASA Conference in Perugia, August 16, 1996. PDF
Magnetic Tape Deterioration: Tidal Wave at Our Shores This paper focuses on issues of deteriorating tape, with a particular focus on video recordings. By Jim Lindner, no date indicated. PDF
Risks Associated with the Use of Recordable CDs and DVDs as Reliable Storage Media in Archival Collections -- Strategies and Alternatives This presentation focuses on the use of CDs and DVDs as long-term storage devices. This becomes less significant as programming is increasing stored on various versions of hard drives. By Kevin Bradley, National Library of Australia, UNESCO, Paris, 2006. PDF
Sound Directions: Best Practices for Audio Preservation From the document: "The work undertaken by the Sound Directions project focused largely on what happens after analog-to-digital conversion. We report on our experience with pre-conversion parts of the preservation chain, and even offer a few recommended technical practices, but have not attempted to be exhaustive in these areas. The heart of our work begins with the creation of digital files and continues to long-term preservation storage. This fills a sizeable gap in the audio preservation field as there are no best practices documents that address this part of the preservation pathway in detail." From Mike Casey of Indiana University and Bruce Gordon of Harvard University, 2007, 168 pages. PDF
Sound Savings: Preserving Audio Collections From The Association of Research Libraries, Edited by Judith Matz - 2004 - ISBN 1-59407-663-4 - 158pp. In July 2003, many of the key stakeholders in audiovisual preservation met at the University of Texas at Austin to share their experiences and discuss the challenges ahead, specifically in the area of preserving sound recordings. The program featured talks by experts on topics ranging from assessing the preservation needs of audio collections to creating, preserving, and making publicly available digitally reformatted audio recordings. Conference attendees -- critical stakeholders of the future of audio preservation -- articulated seven areas for future action to move the field effectively forward. In this publication, ARL presents the symposium papers and these recommendations for future action. PDF
Tape Degradation Factors and Challenges in Predicting Tape Life by Richard L. Hess, published in January 2009. It was originally presented at the Audio Engineering Society Conference in San Francisco, California in 2006 and a version was presented at the Association of Recorded Sound Collections Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2007. It is an excellent analysis of the many degradations suffered by audio tape. (7.6 MB) PDF
The Library of Congress National Recording Preservation Plan "The nation's libraries, archives, and museums hold some 46 million sound recordings, millions of which are in need of preservation. Millions of additional recordings, often unique and also in need of preservation, are held by record companies, performing artists, broadcasters, and collectors." Sections are Preservation Infrastructure, Preservation Strategies, Access Challenges, and Long-Term National Preservation and Access Strategies. December 2012, from the Council on Library and Information Resources and The Library of Congress, 89 pages. PDF
The Preservation of Magnetic Tape Collections: A Perspective From the Image Permanence Institute (IPI) of the Rochester Institute of Technology, December 2006. From the summary: "This report retraces IPI's approach to the preservation of magnetic media. It reports on information gathered from the field and focuses on the major issues related to preserving magnetic media. The report also presents research conducted at IPI during the project. IPI's Survey of Magnetic Tape Archives had as its main objective the assessment of current preservation practices. Data based on laboratory testing of magnetic tapes are reported and discussed. Results are assessed from the perspective of studying the feasibility of developing a diagnostic tool for magnetic tape collections. Conclusions drawn from the research are presented as well as a series of guidelines for preserving magnetic media based on the current situation." 70 pages. PDF
The Triangle Research Libraries Network's Intellectual Property Rights Strategy for Digitization of Modern Manuscript Collections and Archival Record Groups "In spring 2010, the national library service organization OCLC Research convened experts in scholarly communications and archival administration to define new practices for managing copyright in the digital age ... Fair use is a balancing test based on these four factors. The factors are not a list of requirements, and all four factors need not be met to have a successful fair use argument. Each factor as it might pertain to the CCC project's selected manuscript collections and archival record groups is addressed." The four areas are: the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and the substantiality of the portion used, and the effect of the use upon the potential market." January 2011, 11 pages. PDF
Well-intentioned practice for putting digitized collections of unpublished materials online "This document establishes a reasonable community of practice that increases and significantly improves access to collections of unpublished materials by placing them online for the purpose of furthering research and learning. Although it promotes a well-intentioned, practical approach to identifying and resolving rights issues that is in line with professional and ethical standards, note that this document does not concern itself with what individuals who access particular items may do with them. While the document was developed with US law in mind, it is hoped that the spirit of the document will resonate in non-US contexts." Revised 05/28/2010. PDF