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Reformat Now! (...but How?): Considerations for Outsourcing Audiovisual Preservation Projects

Title (author1): 
Ms
First names (author1): 
Kimberly
Surname (author 1): 
Tarr
Institution: 
New York University, Division of Libraries
Country: 
UNITED STATES
Presentation type: 
spoken paper
Date: 
1 Oct Thursday
Start time: 
1 000
Venue: 
Grand Auditorium
Abstract: 

Due in large part to the advocacy and outreach of IASA and other professional associations, many archives, libraries, and cultural heritage institutions -- small and large -- now understand the need to reformat their magnetic media holdings for long-term preservation. What they often lack, however, is the experience identifying formats, selecting items for digitization, choosing qualified vendors, knowing what to ask for (both format and metadata-wise), overseeing logistics, and managing the process. Building off of NYU’s recent publication, Digitizing Video for Long-term Preservation: An RFP Guide and Template, New York University’s paper will exemplify the conference theme of “One for All” by exploring this increasingly common concern and helping to disseminate a shared solution. With funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Digitizing Video for Long-term Preservation was a product of the Video At Risk project, a multi-institutional endeavor developed with the guidance and recommendations of video engineers, vendors and other professionals and stakeholders in the field of media preservation.
This paper will outline the key steps to consider before embarking on a magnetic media reformatting project, including: inventory, assessment, and selection. Then, the paper will outline a step-by-step process of drafting a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the transfer of magnetic media to digital files for preservation. The paper will also introduce key aspects of the workflow for outsourced digitization projects, including technical requirements, file formats, metadata, workflow and transfer specifications, quality assurance, quality control, file naming, and file transfer protocol.
Goals & Learning Outcomes
This paper will walk participants through the workflow of assessing and overseeing digitization of magnetic media by external vendors. Learn what questions to ask and how to understand and implement the answers as you plan for and execute the migration of your magnetic media resources. This process involves understanding what you have (identifying magnetic media formats) and what you need (preservation master digital files), as well as how to negotiate with reliable and qualified transfer houses or labs. At the end of this session, conference attendees of all levels should be equipped to submit materials with confidence to qualified labs.
Understanding that a paper can only hold so much information, NYU will also disseminate a handout with key resources and links so that attendees can return to their institutions ready to initiate a project.
The paper session presenter will look forward to an engaged dialogue with delegates and seek their feedback on the publication, as well as learn more about the way in which organizations are currently outsourcing their materials.
The above-referenced publication, Digitizing Video for Long-term Preservation, is available here (http://library.nyu.edu/preservation/VARRFP.pdf).