Help us Create a Directory of UK Sound Collections Amongst the literary treasures held in the basements of the British Library sits an extraordinary collection of sounds. From recordings of extinct species, voices from the past, to music across all genres, the British Library’s sound archive is held on more than 1.5 million physical items, just waiting to be heard.
But all of these recordings, from those made on the earliest wax cylinders to contemporary CD-Rs, face a real and immediate threat from the combination of physical degradation and the disappearance of the technologies that support physical media. Professional consensus is that we have approximately 15 years in which to save the UK’s sound collections. Without taking steps to preserve these recordings now, they will be lost. To understand the risks facing the UK’s sound collections and to map the scale of the problem, the British Library is initiating a project to collect information about our recorded heritage, to create a directory of sound collections in the UK. By telling us what you have, we can help plan for their preservation, for future generations. Our aim is to be comprehensive; to search out sounds that exist in libraries, archives, museums, galleries, schools and colleges, charities, societies, businesses and in your homes. And we’re not just interested in large collections: a single item might be just as important as a whole archive. So if you think you might have a rare or unique collection of sounds, or just a recording that should be preserved, let us know! The census is live now and will run until the end of March 2015. You can read more about the project, and send us information about your collections here: www.bl.uk/projects/uk-sound-directory The British Library’s Directory of UK Sound Collections is one of the first steps in our Save our Sounds<http://www.bl.uk/projects/save-our-sounds> programme; one of the key strands of Living Knowledge<http://www.bl.uk/projects/living-knowledge-the-british-library-2015-2023>, the British Library’s new vision and purpose for its future. You can follow the British Library Sound Archive on Twitter via @soundarchive and tag with #SaveOurSounds Cheryl Tipp Curator, Wildlife and Environmental Sounds Sound and Vision The British Library 96 Euston Rd London NW1 2DB United Kingdom +44 020 7412 7403 http://www.bl.uk/ https://twitter.com/CherylTipp ****************************************************************************************************************** Experience the British Library online at www.bl.uk<http://www.bl.uk/> The British Library’s latest Annual Report and Accounts : www.bl.uk/aboutus/annrep/index.html<http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/annrep/index.html> Help the British Library conserve the world's knowledge. Adopt a Book. www.bl.uk/adoptabook<http://www.bl.uk/adoptabook> The Library's St Pancras site is WiFi - enabled ***************************************************************************************************************** The information contained in this e-mail is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended for the addressee(s) only. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this e-mail and notify the postmas...@bl.uk<mailto:postmas...@bl.uk> : The contents of this e-mail must not be disclosed or copied without the sender's consent. The statements and opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the British Library. The British Library does not take any responsibility for the views of the author. ***************************************************************************************************************** Think before you print
