Something of potential interest to those working with media collections. Mary W. Elings Archivist for Digital Collections The Bancroft Library
>Independent Media Arts Preservation (IMAP) presents >Introduction to Media Preservation Workshops >Offered in Long Island City/Queens and the Bronx >At PS1/MOMA - March 4, 2008 and the Bronx Museum - April 11, 2008 >12:00 - 4:00 PM >When videotape was introduced in 1956, the magnetic recording of a TV >signal was a technological marvel. More than five decades (and 60 analog >and digital formats) later, videotapes have recorded historic events, >served as a means of artistic expression, and become priceless personal >documents. Unfortunately, videotape has proven to be an unstable medium, >and its recorded images will eventually require careful attention and >well-planned action in order to survive. >This half-day workshop will serve as an introduction to the issues and >strategies necessary to tackle the challenges of videotape preservation. >Designed to meet the needs of those with or without technical experience in >video production, this workshop is geared to media makers and arts >professionals, archivists, conservators, artists and other caretakers of >media collections. >The workshop will cover the following topics: >* A brief overview of videotape's development and evolution >* The basics of magnetic recording technology >* Discussion of the many videotape formats that have been used over the >years - both obsolete and current - and their strengths and weaknesses >* The various factors causing videotape deterioration, and how they can be >mitigated >* How to assess the overall risks to a collection >* Handling and inspection of individual videotapes >* Prioritizing preservation work and developing a preservation plan >* Best practices for storage >* In-house reformatting vs. outsourcing >* Pros and cons of DVDs >* How to work with vendors doing your video transfer work >* Digitization: how to determine file formats, codecs, compression, etc. >Introduction to Media Preservation Workshops >Instructor: Jeff Martin >A graduate of New York University's MA program in Moving Image >Preservation, Jeff Martin has been working with archival moving images for >more than a decade, as a television producer, researcher, and archivist. He >has taught workshops in media preservation in Chicago under the auspices of >Midwest Media Archives Alliance and developed the content for IMAP's new >online preservation resource guide ( >http://www.eai.org/resourceguide/preservation). He is presently a Fellow at >the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, >assessing their media collections. >Two workshop locations: >Tuesday, March 4 >12- 4 p.m. >PS 1/MOMA >46-01 21st Street >(Enter through the 21st Street entrance, between 46th Ave. and 46th Drive, >across from the post office) >Long Island City >Directions: www.ps1.org/ps1_site/content/view/14/47/ >Friday, April 11 >12- 4 p.m. >The Bronx Museum of the Arts >1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street >Bronx >Directions: http://www.bronxmuseum.org/info/directions.html >Workshop fee: >$50 >$40 IMAP members >$25 Students with valid ID >(cash or check only) >RSVP: Reservations required; space is limited. >imap at imappreserve.org >IMAP c/o EAI, 535 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011 > > >These programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York >City Department of Cultural Affairs, with additional support from the New >York State Council on the Arts.
