Moving Image Archiving and Preservation

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Collection Management, H72.3401, Spring 2007

Spring 2007 » Tuesdays, 6 pm - 10 pm » 665 Broadway

Instructor: Linda Tadic » lt@artstor.org » (212) 229-6837 x106

Past Syllabi

2005

2006

Office hours

Fridays 4:00-6:00 or by appointment at:

ARTstor, 120 Fifth Ave, 5th Floor (@ 17th St.)

GOALS

Students will develop an increased understanding of the principles and practices of collection management for moving images, sound, and digital assets. They will gain hands-on experience with collection assessment, including evaluating collections in such areas as collecting policies, care and handling, organization and description, item condition, storage, and access. Students will also learn strategies for collection "triage", conservation, and preservation planning/management. They will also gain experience with the preparation of assessment reports, preservation plans, and funding proposals.

EXPECTATIONS

Each student will assess the same small collection in the Fales Collection in the Bobst Library. We will discuss students' findings in class as they prepare individual written assessments of the collection. During this time, they will also prepare a short paper on an aspect of appraisal and selection policies. Students will then apply their learning by conducting an individual assessment with a film/video/audio/digital repository, writing a report summarizing their findings and recommendations. They will shape all or part of the report's short-term recommendations into a plan of immediate goals and objectives, and write a funding request that reflects the plan.

Attendance at all classes is expected unless excused, as our work together will be intensive. There will be two field trips - at the Library of Congress, and at the Museum of Modern Art Cecile Bartos Film Center. Grades will be based on a combination of class preparedness and participation (20%); quality of work/presentation on the Fales Collection assessment (20%); short paper (10%); individual assessments (30%); and funding request (20%).

TEXTS

The following are texts for the course, along with the articles listed below in the class descriptions. Additional readings will be added during the semester, along with practical handouts.

• Kula, Sam. Appraising Moving Images: Assessing the Archival and Monetary Value of Film and Video Records. Lanham, Maryland and Oxford: Scarecrow Press, 2003. On reserve at Bobst Library.
• InterPARES1 report. http://www.interpares.org/book/index.cfm
• Descriptive Metadata for Television: an End-to-End Introduction. Mike Cox, Linda Tadic, Ellen Mulder. Amsterdam: Focal Press/Elsevier, 2006. On reserve at Bobst Library.

Class 1: January 16 - Introducing the Assessment Process

Topics/activities:

• Overview of class goals and expectations; review of syllabus.
• Review of key areas of collection assessment
• Establishing a process for assessment of a Fales collection
• Discuss options for individual collection assessments; select collections
• Discussion of Assignment #1: After completing the readings for next week, write a short paper (4-5 pages) comparing appraisal and retention policies. How can an organization's mission impact its policies? Due date: February 13.

Class 2: January 23 - Collection Goals & Policies (Meet at Bobst Library Special Collections (3rd floor) from 6-8; then at 665 Broadway 8-10)

Due this class:

• Read Appraising Moving Images: Assessing the Archival and Monetary Value of Film and Video Records, p. 1 – 58 (see above)
• Read Chapter 3 from The Administration of Television Newsfilm and Videotape Collections: A Curatorial Manual (on reserve at Film Dept. Study Center)
• FIAT television appraisal guidelines (on reserve at Film Dept. Study Center)
• NARA Managing Audiovisual Records (on reserve at Film Dept. Study Center)
• InterPARES report, part 2: Appraisal Task Force Report
• Review sample collection assessment.

Topics/activities:

• Discussion of the relationship between organizational mission and collecting policies; typical steps in the accession process.
• Interview with Ann Butler and review of a selected Fales collection.
• Outline work plan for assessment of Fales collection.

Class 3: January 30 - Theories on Selection & Appraisal; Beginning the Assessment; Intellectual Property and Agreements

Due this class:

• Read Appraising Moving Images: Assessing the Archival and Monetary Value of Film and Video Records, p. 59 - 129 (see above)
• Read the "Acquisition and Deposit" section (3 PDFs) of the New Zealand Film Archive at: http://www.filmarchive.org.nz/collections/acquisition.html
• Read the sections of the New Zealand Film Archive concerning the acquisition of Maori materials at: http://www.filmarchive.org.nz/taonga_maori/english_taonga_maori.html
• Optional: The Archival Appraisal of Moving Images: a RAMP Study with Guidelines (UNESCO, 1983) http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0005/000576/057669e.pdf
• Review website: Legislative Initiatives of Interest to Moving Image Preservation Community http://www.loc.gov/film/legislation.html

Additional handouts will be provided in class.

Topics/activities in class:

• De-brief on the Fales collection and review work plan as needed.
• Discussion of readings on the history and theories of selection and appraisal, and the content and ethics of collecting or selection polices.
• Discuss the purpose and process of performing a count by format and date range of moving image and sound collections, and several methods of collection/presentation of the data.
• Discuss intellectual property checklist
• Donation/deposit agreements

Class 4: February 6 - Principles of Video/Audio Collection 'Triage'

CLASS AT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Class 5: February 13 - Video ; Description and Tracking of Moving Images (part 1)

(Meet at Bobst Library Preservation Office (basement)) 2 hours with Chris Lacinak (6-8), then class at 665 Broadway (8-10)

Due this class:

• Assignment #1 due - short paper on appraisal policies.
• Review the IMAP template for audio and video (http://www.imappreserve.org)
• Read Descriptive Metadata for Television chapters 1-2
• Be prepared to discuss the catalogs, lists, etc. relating to the Fales collection.

Topics/activities at Bobst:

2 hours: VIDEO: Chris Lacinak, adjunct faculty in the MIAP program, will be the guest speaker and will discuss analog video conservation concerns, and digital video formats.

Topics/activities in class:

• Brief overview of the principles of database structure
• Review of typical issues with description of different formats and genres, and evolving standards for description.
• Review standards for technical, descriptive, preservation, and legal metadata
• Analysis of the catalogs and other lists, inventories, etc. provided by the Fales collection in terms of strengths and weaknesses, and brainstorm a list of recommendations relating to description.
• Create Excel database in class

Class 6: February 23 (FRIDAY): Evaluating Storage And Handling: Visit to MoMA Cecile Bartos Center

We will visit the Museum of Modern Art Cecile Bartos Center in Pennsylvania. This will be an all-day trip; we will not meet February 20 Tuesday night from 6-10. Details will be announced closer to the date.

Due this class:

• Disaster Planning section of the ScreenSound Australia's "Film Preservation Handbook": http://www.screensound.gov.au/screensound/screenso.nsf/HeadingPagesDisplay/PreservationFilm+Preservation+HandbookDisaster+Planning?OpenDocument
Include "the questions": http://www.screensound.gov.au/screensound/screenso.nsf/AllDocs/8D72671F53E4CCA2CA256B5E00826E11?OpenDocument
• "Assessing the Health of Your Film Archive" by S. Frank Wylie: http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byauth/wylie/assessment/
• "Videotape Preservation Handbook" by Jim Wheeler. http://www.amianet.org/publication/resources/guidelines/WheelerVideo.pdf
• "The Film Preservation Guide: Storage" http://www.filmpreservation.org/preservation/film_guide.html

Topics/activities:

• Visit to MoMA Bartos facility
• Using a checklist and targeted questions to document environmental conditions (and monitoring), judge care and handling practices, and evaluate such areas as security, fire suppression, air quality and disaster preparedness.

Class 7: February 27 - Description of Moving Images (part 2)

Due this class:

• Read: Descriptive Metadata for Television, chapters 3-5, appendix 1 (sample records)
• Look at sample records in the AMIA Compendium of Cataloging Practice for Moving Image Materials http://www.amianet.org/publication/resources/cataloging/compendium/appendixE.html.
• Familiarize yourself with the glossary of cataloging terms: http://gondolin.rutgers.edu/MIC/text/how/catalog_glossary.htm
• Familiarize yourself with "Understanding MARC: Machine-Readable Cataloging" http://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/
• Draft Fales collection assessment due.

Topics/activities:

• A review of the relationship between MARC (Machine-Readable Cataloging), AACR2 (Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd Edition) and AMIM (Archival Moving Image Materials: A Cataloging Manual).
• Decoding MARC records for relevant information, including 'local' fields.
• Discuss and compare Dublin Core, the SMPTE Metadata Dictionary, MPEG7, and PBCore
• Practical approaches to organization and identification of video, film, sound, and digital materials.

Class 8: March 6 - Digital Asset Management ; Implementing Actions: Preservation Work Plans

Due this class:

• Final Fales Collection Assessment due (can be emailed to instructor).
• Report on progress/issues on Outside Assessment, as information-gathering and analysis proceeds.
• Readings and handouts to be determined

Topics/activities:

• Discuss the concepts of digital asset management (ROI, costs, benefits)
• Review of kinds of DAM systems
• Organizing preservation actions into short-term and long-term strategies.
• Creating a detailed work plan, with an attached timeline and budget, from a list of recommended actions.

March 13 (March 12-16 recess)

NO CLASS - spring recess

Class 9: March 20 - Assessing Audio Collections (meet 2:00-6:00 at NYPL Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center)

Due this class:

• Draft Outside Assessment due.
• Report on progress/issues on Outside Assessment, as information-gathering and analysis proceeds.
• "Cylinder, Disc, and Tape Care in a Nutshell." Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/preserv/care/record.html
• Familiarize yourself with "Audio Preservation." Ed. By Hannah Frost for COOL. http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/audio/
• Familiarize yourself with "Electronic Storage Media." COOL. http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/electronic-records/electronic-storage-media/

Topics/activities:

• Demonstration of audio formats and preservation concerns
• Demonstration of digital audio restoration and technical metadata
• Discuss Outside Assessments

Class 10: March 27 - Digital

Due this class:

• Report on progress/issues on Outside Assessment, as information-gathering and analysis proceeds.
• Reading: Tadic, Linda. "Towards a Digital Code of Hammurabi." Performance Documentation and Preservation in an Online Environment. Performing Arts Resources, vol. 24. New York: Theatre Library Association, 2004 (provided in advance)
• Reading: JPEG2000 Dance Heritage Coalition report (selected pages provided in advance): http://www.danceheritage.org/preservation/DigitalVideoPreservation1.pdf
• Reading: Care and Handling of CDs http://www.itl.nist.gov/div895/carefordisc/CDandDVDCareandHandlingGuide.pdf

Topics/activities:

• Discussion of digital file formats, storage, file management and preservation concerns
• Digitizing as a preservation action

Class 11: April 2 -Fundraising

Due this class:

• Readings and handouts to be determined

Topics/activities:

• Crafting funding proposals to the type of funder: government agencies, private foundations, donors.
• Review sample grant proposals.
• Discussion of assignment to write a funding request based on needs identified in the Outside Assessment.

Class 12: April 10 - Crafting Funding Requests; Refining Work Plans and Budgets

Due this class:

• Final Outside Assessment due.
• Review outline of elements of Grant Request
• Readings and handouts to be determined

Topics/activities:

• Strategies for the management of conservation/restoration activities, including needed equipment, staff and workflow, and balancing in-house vs. vendor work.
• Discussion of key elements of a funding proposal; turning a preservation work plan into a fundable project.
• Continue review of sample grant proposals
• Licensing footage and services to generate revenue stream

Class 13: April 17 - Presentations (part 1)

Due this class:

• Draft Grant Request due.

Topics/activities:

• 30-minute Powerpoint presentations (4 students)

Class 14: April 24 - Presentations (part 2); Job opportunities

LAST CLASS

Due this class:

• Final version of Grant Request due.

Topics/activities:

• Presentation of Grant proposals
• 30-minute Powerpoint presentations (4 students)
• Where are the jobs?