Sent on behalf of Will Prentice by Jonathan Draper
British & Irish Sound Archives (BISA)
**Apologies for cross-posting**
Many, perhaps most archives, museums and libraries in the UK & Ireland hold
audio materials within their collections, often containing unique material. Very
often audiovisual material will come to a repository as part of a larger
collection, requiring distinct resources in the form of equipment and expertise.
All archives face challenges as to how they might actively preserve audiovisual
collections for the long term, and how best to provide access to them. Many
media are degrading on the shelves, while others are becoming unplayable due
to obsolescence of equipment. All deserve to be preserved, but in a rapidly
changing technological environment it can be hard to form a strategy,
especially for repositories where audio materials account for a small
percentage of holdings and specialisation lies elsewhere.
British & Irish Sound Archives (BISA) is a new forum in which to discuss such
issues. Membership currently covers a wide range of experience, from
individuals and regional or specialist collections to national institutions,
including the British Library, the BBC and RTE. If you are aware of audio
material but are unsure what to do next, you are especially welcome. Our
discussion list allows members to share knowledge on all aspects of audio
archiving, and questions range from general to specific, from seemingly simple
to complex. Our annual meetings feature a mix of reports from local archives,
current research and practical workshops on working with audio media. They
also offer a chance to meet and make contact with others responsible for
audio heritage, ask questions on all audio-related topics and share
experiences.
Membership of BISA is currently free, and you are warmly invited to join, via
www.bisa-web.org/. All those based in the Anglo-Celtic Archipelago (ok then,
British Isles) with a professional or demonstrable interest in the issues above
are welcome to join, take advantage of our online discussion list and attend
annual meetings. Our next meeting will be held at the Wessex Film and Sound
Archive, Winchester, Hampshire on 5th and 6th June, where in addition to a
full programme of speakers there will be a workshop covering all aspects of
caring for and working with audio cassettes. Full programme and registration
details are on our website.
Will
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Will Prentice
Technical Services
British Library Sound Archive 96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB
UK
Tel: +44 (0)20-7412-7443
Fax: +44 (0)20-7412-7416
Web: http://www.bl.uk, http://cadensa.bl.uk (online
catalogue)
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