preservation audiovisual film motion picture training education masters degree digital copyright conservation
COLLECTION MANAGEMENT, H72.3401
Spring 2008 – Tuesdays, 6 pm – 10 pm, 665 Broadway room 643 Instructor: Linda Tadic lt@artstor.org (212) 229-6837 x106 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 gain experience with the preparation of assessment reports, preservation plans, and funding proposals.
EXPECTATIONS:
- Each student will assess the same small collection at Fales as an initial assignment. 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. The funding request will also be presented in a powerpoint presentation "pitch" at the end of the semester.
- Attendance at all classes is expected unless excused, as our work together will be intensive. There will be three field trips – at the Museum of Modern Art Cecile Bartos Film Center (all day trip); Rogers and Hammerstein Archive of Recorded Sound at the Performing Arts Library (NYPL); and ABC News. 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 22 – 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 initial group collection
- Read "What Price History? – Zapruder film of JFK's assassination" by Mary Panzer (Art in America, October 1999) http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1248/is_10_87/ai_56906434/pg_1
- Review sample collection assessment.
- 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 19.
Class 2: January 29 – Collection Goals & Policies (Meet at Bobst Library Special Collections (3rd floor) from 6–8; then at 665 Broadway 8–10)
Due this class:
- Read finding aid for the Mabou Mines Collection at Fales: http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/fales/mabou.html
- 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 Bobst)
- FIAT television appraisal guidelines (on reserve at Bobst)
- NARA Managing Audiovisual Records (on reserve at Bobst)
Topics/activities:
- Discussion of the relationship between organizational mission and collecting policies; typical steps in the accession process.
- Interview with curator and review of the collection for the initial assessment project: audio materials in the Mabou Mines collection at Fales.
- Outline work plan for assessment of collection.
- Discuss creating an inventory for assessment purposes.
Class 3: February 5 – Theories on Selection & Appraisal; Beginning the Assessment; Risk assessments; Intellectual Property and Agreements
Guest:
- Kara van Malssen on risk assessments
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
- Read: Depositing Films with Archives; a Guide to the Legal Issues, from the NFPF website: http://www.loc.gov/film/donate.html THIS HAS THE CHECKLIST FOR DEPOSIT AGREEMENTS
- Read (for Kara van MalssenÕs presentation): Effective preservation: from reaction to prediction. Waller, Robert; Michalski, Stefan , In: Conservation: the Getty Conservation Institute newsletter, Vol. 19, N. 1, 2004, p. 4–9. http://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications/newsletters/19_1/feature.html
- Optional: Preserving Digital Public Television, written by Mary Ide and Leah Weisse from WGBH, May 2006
- 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
Topics/activities in class:
- Presentation on ICCROM risk assessment checklist (Kara Van Malssen)
- De-brief on the project 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 intellectual property checklist from NFPF guide (URL cited above)
- Donation/deposit agreements
Class 4: February 12 Ð Assessing Audio Collections (meet 2:00–6:00 at NYPL Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center)
Guests:
- Sarah Velez, Curator of the Rogers and Hammerstein Archive of Recorded Sound, and staff
Due this class:
- "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/
- "Capturing Analog Sound for Digital Preservation." Report for the National Recording Preservation Board, March 2006
- Familiarize yourself with "Electronic Storage Media." COOL. http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/electronic-records/electronic-storage-media/
Topics/activities:
- Curation and assessment of audio collections
- Demonstration of audio formats and preservation concerns
- Demonstration of digital audio restoration and technical metadata
Class 5: FRIDAY February 22 (meet 4–8) Description and Tracking of Moving Images (part 1) (NOTE: We will not meet Tuesday February 19)
Due this class:
- Assignment #1 due – short paper on appraisal policies (emailed by Feb. 19)
- Read: Descriptive Metadata for Television chapters 1–2
- Read: Understanding Metadata (NISO, 2004) http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/UnderstandingMetadata.pdf
- Look at sample records in the AMIA Compendium of Cataloging Practice for Moving Image Materials (you must be an AMIA member to logon and access the Compendium examples)http://www.amianet.org/resources/cataloging/compendium/appendixe.php>
- Be prepared to discuss the catalogs, lists, etc. relating to the Mabou Mines collection.
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 project collection in terms of strengths and weaknesses, and brainstorm a list of recommendations relating to description.
Class 6: February 26 – Digital Video and Audio
Guest:
- Chris Lacinak
Due this class:
- Read: JPEG2000 Dance Heritage Coalition report (selected pages provided in advance): http://www.danceheritage.org/preservation/DigitalVideoPreservation1.pdf
- Read: Library of Congress Formats Guide: http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/content/video.shtml
Topics/activities in class:
- Chris Lacinak, adjunct faculty in the MIAP program, will discuss digital video formats, audio formats, compression, and storage.
Class 7: March 4 – Description of Moving Images (part 2); Implementing Actions: Preservation Work Plans
Due this class:
- Read: Descriptive Metadata for Television, chapters 3–5, appendix 1 (sample records)
- OAIS
- Draft Fales collection assessment due (emailed to instructor).
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 ÔlocalÕ fields.
- Discuss and compare Dublin Core, the SMPTE Metadata Dictionary, MPEG7, PBCore, VRA Core, PREMIS
- Practical approaches to organization and identification of video, film, sound, and digital materials.
- 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.
Class 8: March 11 Ð Digital Asset Management
(Meet at ABC News near Lincoln Center from 4–6; meet at ARTstor 6–8:30)Guest: Joel Kanoff, Director, ABC News Video and Digital Library
Due this class:
- 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)
- Introduction to the video library and digital asset management at ABC News
- Review of kinds of DAM systems
- Review of digital asset management system at ARTstor
March 18 (March 17-21 recess)
NO CLASS - spring recessClass 9: March 25 Ð Digital
Due this class:
- Report on progress/issues on Outside Assessment, as information-gathering and analysis proceeds.
- Reading: InterPARES report, part 2: Appraisal Task Force Report
- 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: Care and Handling of CDs http://www.itl.nist.gov/div895/carefordisc/CDandDVDCareandHandlingGuide.pdf
- Review website: "Digital Preservation Management Tutorial" by Cornell University. http://www.library.cornell.edu/iris/tutorial/dpm/eng_index.html
- Final Fales Collection Assessment due (emailed to instructor).
Topics/activities:
- Discussion of digital file formats, storage, file management and preservation concerns
- Digitizing as a preservation action
Class 10: FRIDAY April 4: 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 April 1 Tuesday night from 6-10. Details will be announced closer to the date.
Due this class:
- Disaster Planning section of the ScreenSound AustraliaÕs "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/
- "The Film Preservation Guide: Storage" www.filmpreservation.org/preservation/film_guide.html
- Draft Outside Assessment due.
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 11: April 8 – 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 15 – Crafting Funding Requests; Refining Work Plans and Budgets
Due this class:
- Final Outside Assessment due.
- Review outline of elements of Grant Request Reading: "Marketing Culture in the Digital Age: a Report on New Business Collaborations Between Libraries, Museums, Archives and Commercial Companies." Peter Kaufman, 2005. (emailed in advance)
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 22 – Presentations (part 1)
Due this class:
- Draft Grant Request due.
Topics/activities:
- 30–minute Powerpoint presentations (4 students)
Class 14: April 29 – 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?