Audiovisual Quality Control and Preservation Case Studies from Libraries, Archives, and Museums

Abstract

Digital audiovisual workflows are complex. They can hinge on a breadth and depth of knowledge that is difficult to find within a single team or institution. The areas of knowledge called on can range from obscure and obsolete audiovisual carriers, to all the components in a digitization workflow chain, as well as new and evolving community resources and digital competencies for discovering errors during the quality control process. While there are many standardized audiovisual workflows, as this paper illustrates, QC work can be difficult even with a high level of training and experience; and problems, when caught, are often resource-intensive to diagnose and address. This paper details six distinct audiovisual case studies in which different digital preservation obstacles that are difficult to qualify, fully understand, and document are discussed; as well as, when possible, their solutions. They are all unique, but also unexceptional: we expect there are comparable situations, perhaps not-yet discovered or addressed in many audiovisual archives. This paper will underscore difficulties, and guide readers through some of the processes -- both formal and informal -- used to further analyze audiovisual file problems. Ultimately, in addition to helping other staff with similar problems, this paper should emphasize to administrators the special resource needs of audiovisual files and the staff responsible for them.