Electronic media

Electronic media (such as optical discs, magnetic tapes and disks, and USB flash drives and cards) hold information that may need to be kept for a lifetime. However, in order to retrieve and read this information time and time again, the owners must ensure proper storage and handling of the media and they must transfer the content to new formats, as required. The following resources provide information related to the deterioration, storage, handling and longevity of electronic media. Advice on how to transfer analogue audio and video recordings to digital formats is also provided to ensure equipment obsolescence does not lead to loss of content.

Preventive conservation guidelines for collections

• Caring for audio, video and data recording media

Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) Notes

• N19/1 Longevity of Recordable CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays (2020)
• N19/2 Error Analysis and File Recovery Software for Digital Storage Media (2019)

Technical Bulletins (TB)

• TB 25 Disaster Recovery of Modern Information Carriers: Compact Discs, Magnetic Tapes and Magnetic Disks (2002)
• TB 27 Remedies for Deteriorated or Damaged Modern Information Carriers (2005)
• TB 30 The Digitization of Audio Tapes (2020)
• TB 31 The Digitization of VHS Video Tapes (2020)

Other CCI resources on this topic

• Video – Labelling CDs
• Video – Identifying Acetate Base Audio Reels
• Video – Identifying Audio Reels with Binder Hydrolysis
• CD formats and their longevity – FAQ
• Computer hard disks and diskettes – FAQ
• Electronic media collections care for small museums and archives
• Preservation of Electronic Records: New Knowledge and Decision-making (2003)
• Video, audio recordings and 8mm films – FAQ

Related CCI resources

• Agents of deterioration
• Basic requirements of preventive conservation
• Handling heritage objects

External links

• Digital Storage Media (PDF format) (Conserve O Gram 22/5, 2010)
• Archival Formats: Audio, Video and Motion Picture Film (U.S. National Archives)
• ARSC Guide to Audio Preservation (PDF format) (Association for Recorded Sound Collections)
• Care and Handling of CDs and DVDs: A Guide for Librarians and Archivists (PDF format) (Council on Library and Information Resources, National Institute of Standards and Technology)
• Care, Handling, and Storage of Audio Visual Materials (Library of Congress)
• Digital migration tools and techniques (VideoPreservation Website)
• Digital Preservation Toolkit (Canadian Heritage Information Network)
• Essential Resources for Audio Preservation (PDF format) (Association for Recorded Sound Collections)
• Guidelines on the Production and Preservation of Digital Audio Objects (International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives)
• IASA-TC 06 Guidelines for the Preservation of Video Recordings (International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives)
• Personal Archiving (Library of Congress)
• Sound Directions: Best Practices for Audio Preservation (Indiana University Digital Library Program)
• The NINCH Guide to Good Practice in the Digital Representation and Management of Cultural Heritage Materials (PDF format) (National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage)