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Re: Now Film in University Archives - Was Videos in University Archives, Take Two



I will make a short attempt at mentioning some of the main classes of issues
in these questions. Properly answering them would take a great deal of
time - but perhaps more importantly - there are many issues that do not have
a clear answer - meaning that the answer will vary depending on the
individual situations of the media and the institution.

First - with moving image materials it is very important to recognize that
there is a huge difference between providing access to materials and in
preserving them. Taking a 16mm film and putting it on VHS or DVD or
virtually any video format is NOT preserving it - it is providing access to
it. Preservation of film is best done with a new copy made on film - exactly
how this is done is a complex process that varies depending on the type of
film, condition, and many other issues. Video - even broadcast quality
video - does not have the resolution or color space that film has - so
putting the material on video is not preservation.

Second - choosing a destination format for video is a complex issue that has
to deal with differences between analog and digital video, compression,
compatibility, market penetration, error tolerance, media composition and
many other factors as well as the way the materials will be used (i.e. for
stock footage for production or home movies for alumni?). There are many
different formats - all with different tradeoff's - so unfortunately there
is not one simple answer here.

Although this is not a specific area of my expertise I can tell you that
copyright is an issue here. Generally when you purchase prints from a
producer, you are not purchasing the right to duplicate them. You are
purchasing the physical media, not the intellectual property rights to do
with it as you wish. If a producer is no longer in business, then there may
be other possibilities, but be aware that physical ownership does not
necessarily give you the right to make and distribute access copies.

There are many other issues here - some of them are discussed on the list
serve that I moderate. The list is:
AV Media Matters and it can be enrolled to at
www.topica.com
There are currently 650 members of the list that represent a wide variety of
expertise in archival matters relating to AV materials as well as other more
general issues.  You are welcome to join!!

Lastly - the Association of Moving Image Archivists is an organization of
professionals in the moving image field that has a great deal of knowledge
about this field. There is an annual conference - this year in LA - where
media archivists and experts meet and exchange knowledge. It is a great
organization and I am proud to serve on the Executive Board. Membership fees
are very modest and is well worth it.  Information about AMIA can be gotten
at their web site:  www.amianet.org

Jim
(I guess this was not such a short email after all!)

Jim Lindner - President
VidiPax - The Magnetic Media and Information Migration Full Services Company
Telephone 212-563-1999
www.vidipax.com
Moderator of A/V Media Matters@topica.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU]On
Behalf Of Holly Howes
Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2000 10:18 AM
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: Videos in University Archives, Take Two


Greetings!

After the discussion of videos in university archives,
I thought I would ask a variant of the question. Since
technology is changing so fast, what format should the
duplicate copies of 16 mm films should be placed on?
VHS tapes? CD-ROMS? DVDs? Other?

Any suggestions or comments would be helpful, since
the University of Maine at Farmington's Archives is
planning to make copies of its 16 mm films so that
patrons can have more access to them and to preserve
the original copy.

Thank-you.

Holly M. Howes
Archives Coordinator
University of Maine at Farmington
Mantor Library
41 High St.
Farmington, ME 04938


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