Media Preservation Introduction

"Every media preservation professional's go-to media identification resource. (Almost) everything you to identify audiovisual media should be here. From there, you will find helpful tips for condition assessments and notes on correct storage and handling." -- MG

By California Revealed/Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC). "Less in-depth than the PSAP, but excellent for a quick visual identification of a wide variety of media types. With all information written in concise bullet points, the guide is easy to read and use and highly accessible. Ideal to have printed at a workstation." -- MG

By the Texas Commission on the Arts. "A classic of media identification that has stood the test of time since 2004. Focuses specifically on video tapes most likely to be found in museum collections, and presents some of the most in-depth information on identifying and preserving video tapes available." -- MG

"Good starting point for finding a variety of links and resources for evaluating the condition of audio materials, including audio recordings on magnetic tape, optical disc, and wax cylinder." -- MG

"In 2005, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation generously provided support to the Columbia University Libraries to develop and test a survey instrument to inventory and assess the physical condition and intellectual control of audio and moving image materials. The survey instrument and instruction manual are available here for free download."

"Similar in format and purpose to NARA's audio guidance. Includes links and resources for evaluating the condition of video stored both on magnetic tape and on optical carriers." -- MG

"Developed by the Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC), AV Compass is one of the most robust and most financially accessible tools for inventorying media collections, whether at the institutional or the individual level. The variety of educational videos on best inventorying practices available on the website is an excellent bonus." -- MG

"An alternative media inventorying tool developed by AVP. Requires some financial investment to expand beyond a few thousand inventorying entries." -- MG

"A blog post by AVP's Rebecca Chandler that provides a succinct overview of what to document during an inventorying process, and how to document it." -- MG