By Libby Hopfauf
Processing audiovisual materials can be intimidating. It requires specialized expertise, antiquated equipment, and hard-to-come-by funding. But this doesn’t have to be the case. Understanding what you have and how to care for it will empower you to make informed decisions on how to proceed.
As part of the Northwest Archivists (NWA) 2024 conference (held May 8-10 at the Historic Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington), Moving Image Preservation of Puget Sound (MIPoPS) and the University of Washington Libraries (UW Libraries) taught AV102, the second in a community archiving educational workshops series devoted to training professionals in the care and preservation of our region’s visual heritage. The workshop was geared towards those unfamiliar with audiovisual materials or seeking a refresher on working with these collections but ready to learn the practical application of audiovisual best practices and workflows.
In 2023, MIPoPS and UW Libraries began teaching AV101, the entry-level course in the series. This workshop was designed to teach archivists, librarians, and heritage professionals with audiovisual materials in their collections to identify formats, make basic condition assessments, advocate for funding, talk to vendors, determine costs, develop preservation plans, and create access using simple DIY techniques. The first workshop was part of the 2023 NWA conference in Salem, Oregon. The creation and implementation of this workshop series were made possible, in part, by funding from 4Culture and support from the Washington State Historical Society.
Building on AV101, AV102 covered format basics and risk factors in an abbreviated introduction before delving into practical application. Participants rotated between stations for film, videotape, and audiotape to learn various methods and techniques, including detailed inspection and appraisal of 16mm film, digital preservation basics (such as generating checksums and bagging files), adjusting audio cassette azimuth for proper sound quality, physical repair of videotapes, and videotape deck (VCR) cleaning. At each station, an instructor provided demonstrations to small groups, followed by the opportunity for participants to try it out themselves.
The goal of AV102 was for participants to walk away from the workshop armed with resources and techniques to help them care for their audiovisual collections and serve as the foundation for developing sustainable in-house workflows. Fourteen archivists from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington participated in the workshop, and interest was expressed in MIPoPS and UW Libraries teaching a more extended version of the seminar at regional archives. If your institution is interested in hosting or if you would like to attend a free AV101 or AV102 workshop, please contact info@mipops.org.