Access and Digitization
As the need for access to materials grows, archivists are striving to get as much data digitized as possible. Though this is not a complete solution, and is often difficult to accomplish due to under staffing, it is a good start and better than having no solution at all[10]. Archives are also working to provide better access to the public through both advocacy and digitization. For example, UCLA, a major film repository, has created programs that make people more aware of not only the collections, but also of the importance of the preservation process[11].
Archives are also having an issue with the creation of a standard of categorization in their collections in comparison with the collections of other archives. Materials often can be in separate institutions and the challenge is being able to have data about the entirety of materials relating to a particular film. Archivists are also dealing with ways in which to re-contextualize materials in their collection. Materials such as posters and set pieces that go with a film are often in a separate repository because the physical material that these pieces are made of; they are therefore categorized differently and sometimes end up in separate housing, which some archivists have been arguing against[12]. Another aspect of access to the public that archives are working to provide is the actual ability to view the films. Before video, access to copies of films was almost impossible to accomplish. However, due to technological advantages, it has become possible for archives to reproduce DVD copies of films which are easy to distribute [13]. On the other hand, there is the growing potential for projection materials to be out of date. As these materials grow older and uncared for, it becomes harder to view certain films on their original formats[14]. One possible solution is to have specialists who produce these types of materials specifically for the use of archivist and hobbyists, but it’s such a niche market that hardly any headway appears to have been made on this potential solution.
Notes
[10] "Video at Risk: Strategies for Preserving Commercial Video Collections in Research Libraries." Moving Image Archiving and Preservation | M.A. Degree Program. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://www.nyu.edu/tisch/preservation/research/video-risk/>.
[11] Slide 2000:72
12] Campagnoni, Donata Pesenti. "The Preservation, Care and Exploitation of Documentation Related to the Cinema: An Unresolved Issue." Film History 18.3, Film Museums (2006): 306-18. JSTOR. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/3815484?ref=no-x-route:d2f006eced614cf4cd6df797cd1997a0>.
[13] Film Preservation Guide 2004:42
[14] "FIAF." FIAF. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://fiafnet.org/uk/publications/fep_journal.html>.
As the need for access to materials grows, archivists are striving to get as much data digitized as possible. Though this is not a complete solution, and is often difficult to accomplish due to under staffing, it is a good start and better than having no solution at all[10]. Archives are also working to provide better access to the public through both advocacy and digitization. For example, UCLA, a major film repository, has created programs that make people more aware of not only the collections, but also of the importance of the preservation process[11].
Archives are also having an issue with the creation of a standard of categorization in their collections in comparison with the collections of other archives. Materials often can be in separate institutions and the challenge is being able to have data about the entirety of materials relating to a particular film. Archivists are also dealing with ways in which to re-contextualize materials in their collection. Materials such as posters and set pieces that go with a film are often in a separate repository because the physical material that these pieces are made of; they are therefore categorized differently and sometimes end up in separate housing, which some archivists have been arguing against[12]. Another aspect of access to the public that archives are working to provide is the actual ability to view the films. Before video, access to copies of films was almost impossible to accomplish. However, due to technological advantages, it has become possible for archives to reproduce DVD copies of films which are easy to distribute [13]. On the other hand, there is the growing potential for projection materials to be out of date. As these materials grow older and uncared for, it becomes harder to view certain films on their original formats[14]. One possible solution is to have specialists who produce these types of materials specifically for the use of archivist and hobbyists, but it’s such a niche market that hardly any headway appears to have been made on this potential solution.
Notes
[10] "Video at Risk: Strategies for Preserving Commercial Video Collections in Research Libraries." Moving Image Archiving and Preservation | M.A. Degree Program. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://www.nyu.edu/tisch/preservation/research/video-risk/>.
[11] Slide 2000:72
12] Campagnoni, Donata Pesenti. "The Preservation, Care and Exploitation of Documentation Related to the Cinema: An Unresolved Issue." Film History 18.3, Film Museums (2006): 306-18. JSTOR. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/3815484?ref=no-x-route:d2f006eced614cf4cd6df797cd1997a0>.
[13] Film Preservation Guide 2004:42
[14] "FIAF." FIAF. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://fiafnet.org/uk/publications/fep_journal.html>.