DIGITAL EQUIPMENT GUIDELINES

Transcription

1 Contents: DIGITAL EQUIPMENT GUIDELINES We These guidelines reflect current practice in the s oral history department. We update them as soon as we receive any new information about equipment or when we change our procedures. For the most up to date set of guidelines please contact us. 1. Oral history fieldwork equipment 1.1 Digital Recorders 1.2 Microphones 1.3 Memory cards 2. Uploading and saving digital recordings 3. Filenaming and checksums for digital files 3.1 Filenaming 3.2 Keeping track of oral history recordings and backing them up 3.3 Checksums verifying the integrity of the data 4. Listening/playback software 5. Specification for computer hardware for processing digital files 6. Archiving and storing digital audio files 6.1 CDRs and DVDs: general pointers 6.2 Audio CDs and data CDs 6.3 DVD-Rs 6.4 Sourcing CD-Rs and DVD-Rs 6.5 Archival storage on hard disc 7. Computer software programmes to burn CDs and DVDs 8. Procedure for interviewers working remotely from the storage/archive site 9. Digital editing 10. Retrospective digitisation of older audio formats 11. Cataloguing 12. Transcription software 13. Video 14. Further references 15. Other useful websites Oral History,, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB Tel /7405/7406 oralhistory@bl.uk or nls@bl.uk.

2 1. Oral history fieldwork equipment 1.1 Digital Recorders In recent years solid state digital recorders have replaced the analogue recorders (such as audio cassettes) and older digital formats (like minidisc) that many oral historians used. Called solid state because they have no moving parts and record audio directly to a memory card, there is a bewildering range of makes, models and formats available. There are also a number of recorders with built-in hard-drive memory, often in addition to the memory card. Some recorders use proprietary or compressed digital formats which are not internationally-recognised and may not be future-proof: these should be avoided, especially as some will record poor quality audio. Compressed files can also audibly degrade when they are converted to another format. At the (BL) we have been using the Marantz PMD660 solid state flash card recorder. This is a mid-range compact professional model which has proved reliable and easy-to-use. With it we use a 2GB Compact Flash card (CF card) and record PCM WAV (or.wav) files at 48kHz/16bit (giving you c.3hrs stereo audio per 2GB flash card). As we want to archive high quality recordings to recognised standards, we record in PCM.wav format, not MP3 or other compressed format, so that all of the data from the recording is stored. Recording at 44.1kHz 16 bit also gives a good standard of recording. Recently the Marantz PMD660 was discontinued and replaced by the PMD661, which uses a Secure Digital card (SD card). The PMD660 recorders continue to perform well, as does the PMD661 successor. There are several cheaper (and more expensive) makes and models on the market which might be better suited to particular projects and budgets. Whichever model of digital recorder you choose it should have the following features: Be able to record in stereo using two external microphones (preferably with professional XLR sockets) Be able to record uncompressed PCM WAV (or.wav) files to a minimum of 44.1kHz 16 bit and/or 48kHz 16bit. This is a good standard of recording quality using a widelyrecognised format. Have a USB2 connection to allow the recorded files to be uploaded easily to a computer for renaming, security copying and long-term storage (as an additional method to uploading the audio to a computer by placing the CF or SD card in a card reader attached to the PC) Be capable of being powered by both rechargeable batteries and mains supply. 1.2 Microphones For one-to-one interviews we record in stereo, clipping one mike on the interviewer and one on the interviewee. Cardiod microphones: Most of our interviewers currently use the Audio-Technica Pro 70 Lapel Microphone, which is a cardioid (directional) microphone. Due to its directional nature, this microphone is very sensitive to handling noise and breathing, so we would advise that projects experiment with microphone positioning to avoid this. To assist microphone 1

3 positioning we also use a slightly different microphone clip for the Pro70, an AT8417, which lifts the microphone approximately 1cm from clothing to help avoid noise caused by movement. Omni-directional microphones: Omni-directional microphones pick up sound from every direction which means you often get sounds you don t want (traffic noise for example). However, they tend to be less sensitive to handling noise and breathing. We are currently experimenting with the AKG C417PP omni-directional lapel microphones, which we have found to pick up less handling noise than cardioid microphones. However, in the past we have had problems with mains hum/buzz on these mikes. In our current trials we are using adapted power supply boxes with DC cabling this shields the machine and microphone to prevent mains breakthrough. An alternative would be to run the recorder off batteries. If this is option is followed it is very important that on the recorder settings the beep alarm is set so that when the batteries begin to expire you have enough time to stop the recorder (which will write the track and ensure that all the data is saved to the CF/ SD card). Both types of microphones use phantom power from the recorder which means that they don t require their own batteries and, if they are shielded, you can use mains power supply for the recorder, without mains interference. We do recommend using back-up Duracell AA batteries as the recorder has no rechargeable battery and an unexpected power-down can result in loss of data. If you purchase these microphones ensure that your recorder can provide phantom power. Full specifications, prices and details can be found at (who can also advise on other fieldwork recorders including a laptop recording option; on other microphones, for example for group work; and transcription software) and Memory cards Memory cards come in a variety of formats and memory capacity. The Marantz PMD660 uses Compact Flash cards (CF), whilst the PMD661 uses Secure Digital (SD) cards. Each make and batch of cards can have slight variations in reliability. Costs vary as does the speed that data is written to the card. We have had one instance where one batch of flash cards was incompatible with the PMD660 the word unformat appeared on the screen and the PMD would not respond until the card was removed from the machine. We suggest that you buy one sample CF or SD card and test its compatibility before buying a whole batch. Marantz recommend the following flash cards: LEXAR, PNY, VIKING, IBM and HITACHI. At the BL we have used other brands and experienced very few problems, although on rare occasions the data has not written to the flash card. If this happens and it appears that there is no data on the card it might be that the table of contents that identifies the data has been corrupted. In such cases all is not (always!) lost and specialist audio technicians can sometimes retrieve the audio. 2

4 It is now increasingly difficult to source 2GB CF cards and SD cards: 4GB cards are usually the smallest size available. The BL Sound Archive Technical Section has advised against recording digital audio WAV files that exceed 2GB in size. This is partly for data security because if the card has a fault (which is rare!) then less material will be at risk of corruption. For files over 2GB there is also potential alteration in the type of digital file created, which may make the file difficult to open in digital editing programmes and has implications for the security of the audio file s long-term preservation. In order to avoid this issue, we are instructing our interviewers when using a CF or SD card over 2GB to ensure that any single track does not exceed the following lengths, which are each equivalent to just under 2GB of data: 44.1 khz 16 bit stereo recording Maximum advisable length of track: 3hr 48 khz, 16 bit stereo recording Maximum advisable length of track: 2hr 50 mins 48 khz, 24 bit stereo recording Maximum advisable length of track: 1hr 50 mins 2. Uploading and saving digital recordings Once the memory card contains data to archive we upload the.wav files to computer (we use a PC but a MAC can equally be used) via the USB port in the recorder or (better) via a card reader plugged into USB2 port on the PC. We upload, rename, and back up to external computer hard-drive, then make an additional copy as an MP3 for access purposes. It s also possible at this stage to make a further copy (say for an interviewee or transcriber) onto a DVD or CDR, though neither should be regarded as an archival version. Then (and only then) is it possible to reformat (ie wipe) the memory card ready for the next recording. It's worth buying a few spare memory cards and a portable external hard-drive or a laptop to back-up.wav files if you are recording for long fieldtrips away from base. On a day-to-day basis our interviewers and transcribers use the MP3 files (rather than the.wav files) when making content summaries and transcribing. If you do not have a digital editing programme, such as Sound Forge or Wavelab (see below), there are two programmes that can be downloaded free from the internet which can batch convert.wavs to MP3: WinLAME then choose: winlame prerelease 4 (Windows Installer) at Sourceforge. free-source audio editing programme Audacity can also batch convert when used in conjunction with WinLAME When creating MP3 copies from.wav files, we convert at 128kbps 44.1 khz stereo constant bit rate. 3

5 3. Filenaming and checksums for digital files 3.1 Filenaming It is important that you think through how you will order and name your data before you start collecting. This way you can have a system in place that orders the files in sequence, prevents duplication of filenames, and allows the accompanying documentation and metadata to be tagged with the audio filename from the very start of the project. If you are working in conjunction with an archive, talk to them as early as possible in the process, to see how you can align the data collected with any existing cataloguing systems. To make sense of all the audio files gathered within an oral history project it is vital to construct a filenaming system which allows you to relate all the different versions of one audio file (master WAV file, MP3 access file etc) to each other. You can use two filenaming systems for your WAV files: automatically generated number in a sequence: a dumb number intelligent filename that relates to a specific cataloguing or numbering system The uses an intelligent number that relates to the collection, interview and track number within our existing cataloguing system. This way, the paper documentation, Recording Agreement and cataloguing metadata can relate, allowing easy identification of a filename from its unique number alone. Here are some tips if you want to use an intelligent numbering system: Have a set number of characters: The BL uses 24 characters plus filename extension Use enough characters to allow room for further expansion: Use 0001, 0002 (not 01, 02) so you have room to log 9999 files in the sequence Make sure that a computer is able to order the files chronologically: For example if you used NLS-01-4, NLS-01-29, NLS a computer would order the files as 29, then 119, then 4. But 0004, 0029 and 0119 would order in sequence. Be careful about the use of letters too! A sample BL WAV filename is: 021A-C1087X0002XX-0005M0.WAV 021A- is constant. It means an oral history audio file in the sound archive. C1087 collection title (this means Tesco: An Oral History) X0002 interview number (the second interview in the project) XX-0005 track number (the fifth track in the interview) NB: This must be the number of the track within the whole interview, not just in the current session M0.WAV is constant for a WAV born digital masterfile NB: '0' is always zero 4

6 An example of a simpler version would be: RM-0014X0005M0.WAV RM- Random Museum oral history project 0014 Fourteenth interviewee X0005 Fifth track in the interview M0.WAV Original unedited master WAV file You can also build into your filenames a way of distinguishing between versions of files: M0.WAV P0.WAV A0.MP3 A1.MP3 (unedited masterfile: our default setting) (playback WAV file that has had an edit this happens rarely) (unedited access file) (access file that has had a section muted/edited) 3.2 Keeping track of oral history recordings and backing them up The BL oral history section logs all its audio files in an excel spreadsheet entitled The Recordings Register (example available on request). This spreadsheet logs the bare minimum of cataloguing metadata, but also allows the oral history team to log the date and location of any back-up copies of the recordings, before the audio files are ingested into the BL s long term digital store. It is important that all files are backed up in several different locations, such as external hard drives (see section 6 below). Ideally, audio files should be backed up using checksum software. 3.3 Checksums verifying the integrity of the data Checksum software generates what is called an MD5 file, which sits alongside the audio file these MD5 files verify that the audio file that has been copied is identical to the file that has been uploaded. Checksums should be created as early in the life of the datafile as possible, to ensure the integrity of the data. The software should then be used each time a file is copied or moved. If a file is altered in any way (for example, if a playback file is created) a new checksum should be generated. Free checksum software can be downloaded from or 4. Listening/playback software At the we have found Media Player Classic the most versatile for reading a wide range of digital recordings. This is not the same programme as Windows Media Player. The programme can be downloaded free via the internet from A good player for recordings made at 24 bit and/or at 96 khz, is the VLC player, free to download at The VLC media player is a free-to download open source media player and multimedia framework written by the 5

7 VideoLAN project. VLC stands for VideoLan Client and the symbol for VLC is an orange and white striped traffic cone. 5. Specification for computer hardware for processing digital files As audio files can take up a lot of memory space it is important to use the optimum specification computer hardware and software for most effective and reliable copying, data transfer and editing. A computer with lower specifications may adequately process digital files, but the PC may run slower and store less data. RAM 512MB minimum, 1GB recommended Operating System Windows XP or later versions. Other systems might work, but may run into compatibility problems at the archive/storage site. Processor Any computer with a processor at least 1GHz is acceptable. Beware the numbers quoted with processors can be misleading. A 2GHz Pentium M processor is faster than a 1GHz Pentium M processor, but not necessarily faster than a 1.6GHz Intel Core Duo. DVD burners Burning to DVDs and CDs is possible with a Plextor PX 760 drive, which can be bought as an internal or external drive (external is more expensive). We have found that Nero software is better than the software that is usually bundled with a DVD drive (see below). Many Plextor drives come with Nero software. 6. Storing digital audio files Audio files can be stored on a variety of different digital media. At the BL we have moved away from CDR and DVD-R storage to computer hard-drive and mass-storage solutions for long-term preservation, partly as we have experienced frequent data errors and data loss with many optical discs such as DVD-R and CD-R. For many projects external hard-drives will now be an affordable option for archival storage and this is what we would recommend. We list below some useful advice regarding transfer to CDR and DVD-R (suitable for temporary storage and for donor/playback copies) and storage on external hard drives (for long-term archival storage). 6.1 CDRs and DVDs: general pointers Avoid cheap CD-R or DVD blanks that can be bought for a few pence each. They are of low quality and may well not last for very long. Avoid using CD-RW or DVD-RW. Re-writeable discs are unlikely to be as compatible on different machines as CD-R or DVD-R. It is important to make back-up and/or playback copies on a different brand of CD-R or DVD-R to the Master. This is to lessen the risk in case one batch or brand of disc is found to have problems. When labelling a Master CD/DVD make sure there is as little writing or printing as possible: and ensure you use no adhesive labels, no pencils or hard pens: only felt pens which are water rather than solvent-based to prevent any possible damage to the data as the CD/DVD ages. 6

8 6.2 Audio CDs and data CDs: CDs can be burned to play as audio CDs in an ordinary CD player or as data CDs which contain image, sound or other data files. Any CD burning software should give you the option of burning data or audio CDs. Audio CDs Contain digital sound at 44.1kHz and 16 bit at maximum of 74 minutes duration Can be played on an ordinary CD player and/or computer Data CD-Rs A CD-R can store any type of data. It can store sound files of any type, such as.wav or MP3 If you want to burn stereo PCM.wav files at 48kHz 16-bit, a CD can store data which is less than 74 minutes duration If you want to burn mono recording at 48kHz 16-bit PCM WAV, a CD can store recordings of approximately 2 hours duration You can store a large number of MP3 files on a CD 6.3 DVD-Rs: A DVD-R can also store any type of data, including sound files such as WAV or MP3 If you want to burn stereo PCM WAV files at 48kHz 16-bit, a DVD-R can store data up to approximately seven hours duration BUT beware there are several types of DVD-R and there are archival implications about how much data you burn to a DVD-R. Storing MP3s on disc A CD-R or DVD-R can store many more MP3 files than PCM WAV files. However we advise that you do not record in MP3 format, but use MP3 copies of WAV files for playback copies. 6.4 Sourcing CD-Rs and DVD-Rs: Warning! Different manufacturers produce discs of different grades but a similar physical specification. The differences are not always obvious from the description of the discs, and they can be changed over time with no indication of the fact. Any given brand and type might refer to multiple products of differing quality! Also compatibility between disc and burner is crucial, and impossible to reliably predict or measure without some form of testing. Similarly, choosing the most appropriate burn speed is crucial, and will again depend on the particular disc and burner. In short this is a highly complex area which is impossible to address adequately for all contexts. Far better and safer is to regard CD-Rs and DVD-Rs as convenient playback copies and to archive your.wav originals onto computer hard-drive. But if you do plan to use optical discs refer to Kevin Bradley s authorative paper online at 7

9 The formerly used the MAM-E (Mitsui Advanced Media Europe) gold CD- R (80 minutes at CD quality). However, MAM-E have now gone out of business. Stanley Productions ( can supply MAM-A (Mitsui Advanced Media America: a different company than MAM-E) products such as gold CDRs and DVD-Rs which have been regarded as more reliable carriers of audio, but these have not been tested by the. We also use a Taiyo Yuden silver CD-R that is 74 minutes not the 80 minute disc (from For DVD blanks we use the Taiyo Yuden DVD-R (single layer, 4.7GB capacity). To source other silver CD-R or DVD-Rs try contacting the Storage on hard disc: Hard disc drives are manufactured to last only a few years. In practice, they might last longer, but the notion of a single individual drive as a reliable long-term store is a nonstarter. However, drives can successfully be used for long-term storage by replicating data across more than one drive. The particular drive model is less important than the strategy of using different brands of drive in order to diminish the risk of simultaneous drive failures. The simplest system is to manually mirror (replicate) data across at least one other drive, and store the replica(s) in different locations. As well as establishing a regular (daily) back-up routine it is worth using a system that regularly checks each disc for integrity, sector errors etc, as well as verifying that data copying is accurate. RAID systems are becoming cheaper and can be used to replicate and check data across several disc drives, and automate the process of restoring data automatically when a particular drive fails ( Some systems use RAIDs coupled with off-line backup on optical disc or on tape drives (LTO etc) as extra security. The BL uses this kind of mass storage system (known in the BL as the Digital Library System ) but multiple external hard-drives are likely to be a more viable and affordable option for most projects. 7. Computer software programmes to burn CDs and DVDs We use Nero burning software: Nero Burning Rom 7 is available at We use the following settings when burning a CD or DVD with Nero, which ensure maximum compatibility with other computers. Check these settings on the tabbed dialogue box: CDs o Multisession: select no multisession o ISO Data mode should read Mode 1 File system: select ISO 9660 only File name length (ISO): select Max of 31 chars (Level 2) Character set (ISO): select ISO 9660 (standard ISO CD-ROM) 8

10 DVDs o Burn Action: tick Write tick Finalize CD Write speed: select x32 (if using for playback copies); select x4 or x 8 [if using for archival purposes, but note that this is no longer recommended see points 6 and 6.5 above] Write method: select Disc at once Number of copies: set to 1 and tick Burn-Proof o Multisession: select no multisession o ISO: filename length: select max of 31 characters character set: ISO 9660 o Label: ignore this o Dates: File dates: select use date and time from original file. o Burn: action write finalise DVD (this may be greyed out) Disc at Once (this may be greyed out) Write Speed: x4 [if using for archival purposes, but note that this is no longer recommended see point 6 and 6.5 above] 8. Procedure for interviewers working remotely from the storage/archive site Any interviewer who will be dealing with original.wav files must ensure that their computer has the software and memory space to process.wav files and that they can burn both DVDs and CDs. a. Interviewer records on memory cards as usual. b. After each session, interviewer uploads the material onto a secure and virus free computer. DO NOT WIPE (or reformat ) the original memory card. c. Burn the.wav files to archive standard DVD, using the software and specifications explained above. d. To make a copy for summarising, batch convert the.wav files to MP3 and store on the computer and/or burn to CD see above. e. Send the DVD of.wav files to the archive/storage site. In our opinion, sending memory cards through the post is too risky. The cards are small, easy to mislay and, if lost in the post, the only copy of the interview is lost. f. The staff at the archive/storage site will then check that the DVD can be opened and that each.wav file is accessible and uncorrupted. g. Once the interviewer has received confirmation that all the.wav files have been safely received and successfully opened, the memory card be erased/reformatted. Alternatively, you could upload material from memory cards onto an external hard drive. After carefully checking that the.wav files have been successfully uploaded to the external hard drive, the memory cards can be erased. You can then upload.wav files from the external hard drive onto a computer and burn them to DVD. However, the.wav files should not be wiped from the external hard drive until the staff at the archive/storage site have made sure the files on the DVDs are accessible and uncorrupted. 9

11 9. Digital editing There are a large number of software packages suitable for editing digital audio on PCs (and macs), but for basic speech editing Audacity, a free piece of open-source software downloadable from is perfectly adequate and recommended. For more sophisticated editing (perhaps involving music and effects) requiring greater functionality, such as filtering and multitracking, other packages should be considered. The BL uses Wavelab Wavelab Studio 6 is c. 250 ( ab6.html). Also worth considering are Adobe Audition ( at around 225 Sound Forge ( at around 200. For a cheaper alternatives try: Sound Forge Studio ( at around 45. Wavelab Essential 6 ( abessential6.html) at about 85, to buy as a CD pack or to download The basics of audio editing are easy to learn and the in conjunction with the Oral History Society runs a one-day digital editing training course. 10. Retrospective digitisation of older audio formats Depending on the material to be digitised and the resources available, it may often make sense to employ specialist contractors to carry out digitisation, particularly if it involves digitising open-reel tapes, discs or other older formats; or if there is any evident degradation. We can provide a contact list on request. Until recently analogue audio cassettes were routinely used by oral historians. This format is now virtually obsolete but there is little evidence that the cassettes themselves will degrade if kept in ideal conditions (British Standard 5454 June 2000 suggests 19ºC ± 1ºC, 40% relative humidity ± 5%). Nonetheless a programme of assessment and progressive digitisation is recommended. Another, digital, format in use until recently was Minidisc (MD) which has always had the disadvantage that it uses a proprietary compressed format. This is now also rapidly becoming obsolescent. It is therefore advisable to copy their contents to a more secure digital medium (with appropriate back-ups). 10

12 To digitise small batches of cassettes a basic digitisation kit might comprise: a good quality cassette deck capable of decoding any noise reduction used in recording the cassettes (such as Dolby B or dbx) and with adjustable azimuth. ( a PC with a good quality sound card and in particular good A-D converters, and a reasonably fast PC or Mac. editing software such as Sound Forge, Adobe Audition, Wavelab or Audacity (details above). It is extremely important to save the audio in PCM.wav files, rather than a compressed format such as mp3. Use the PC to create and save.wav files onto computer hard drives; do not transfer anything below 44.1kHz/16 bit. If memory space allows, a higher specification might be considered and 96kHz/ 24 bit is now becoming standard within audio archives The benefit of using a PC is that it's easier to do the transfer via a digital editor to allow for minor editing if appropriate, such as splitting and joining tracks, and adjusting levels. You can then use a batch converter to convert all the.wavs to mp3 files for access and for transcribers' copies, and preserve at least two copies of every.wav file, ideally on at least two brands of medium, stored in different locations. 11. Cataloguing The Sound Archive currently uses SirsiDynix Symphony (formerly known as Unicorn) collection management software to run the Sound Archive online catalogue ( Data is held in an internal (and non-standard) MARC format with many additional fields to cope with (a) the breadth of the collections, and (b) technical and preservation metadata. For partnership projects with the BL Oral History department we can provide a customised Excel spreadsheet for collecting standardised data for later conversion to the Sound Archive online catalogue. 12. Transcription software Our freelance transcribers are currently using Express Scribe Transcription Playback software which is a free download from This is controllable via hot keys on the keyboard and/or via a remote footpedal. Alternative software includes Start Stop, details at Contact us if you wish to see a copy of our transcription guidelines. 13. Video The Oral History department runs, in conjunction with the Oral History Society, a one-day oral history and video training course (Lives in Focus: recording oral history interviews on video). We have also found the following information useful : 11

13 Filming video oral histories These two sites offer online training packages about using video for interviews: For advice on filming try: Archiving and preserving video formats The BL has published some general guidelines on video preservation, for its Endangered Archives programme, which is online at Many projects use minidv video format, which is a digital medium. Copying to other formats could result in a loss of data, so one option archivally would be to copy from minidv to a second minidv tape, simply for the security of having more than one copy. You can copy to a higher grade tape format, DigiBeta being a standard, but the costs then become very high. Ideally, you might want to have the recordings copied as uncompressed avi files onto a hard drive. Further migration to MPEG-4 or JPEG2000 (an emerging standard) would be considered best for preservation. At the BL we have recently begun to record some video interviews to supplement our long life story audio interviews. After some extensive market and format analysis we decided to film in a High Definition format using the Sony EX3 camera, which records directly to solid state flash memory. The reasons for choosing HD format were based on concerns that filming in HDV or on DV tape would result in video that was not archivally stable, particularly as they record both the audio and video in a compressed format. Filming in HD still results in a compressed video, but we are able to record the audio as uncompressed WAV files. The Sony EX3 records in XDCAM format, which wraps the audio and video together as.mp4 files. This format also allows the capture of extra metadata (such as date of recording, camera model etc) which is saved alongside each clip within xml files. There is a handy guide to preservation and migration options for various video media at: Some of the information derives from a lengthy report, (especially pp ). There is helpful information in plain language on the Keep Moving Images site (designed for video artists but with good general principles) at More technical, but often with the answer you re looking for, is DV information page at Another, somewhat technical site, is A little less daunting is 12

14 14. Further references Dietrich Schüller s summary overview of the main audio formats and their particular features is a good introduction, available to download at Kevin Bradley s Guidelines on the production and preservation of digital audio objects (2004), published by the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA TC- 04) and The safeguarding of the audio heritage: ethics, principles and preservation strategy (IASA, third edition 2006, TC-03) are essential reading: details at A leaflet published by the National Preservation Office Basic Preservation Guidelines for Library and Archive Collections can be downloaded at A useful report about analogue to digital transfer, commissioned by the US-based National Recording Preservation Board at the Library of Congress, entitled Capturing Analog Sound for Digital Preservation: Report of a Roundtable Discussion of Best Practices for Transferring Analog Discs and Tapes (June 2006) is available online at: A report, Risks Associated with the Use of Recordable CDs and DVDs as Reliable Storage Media in Archival Collections - Strategies and Alternatives by Kevin Bradley was published online by UNESCO, and can be found at: Fred Byers 2003 report Care and handling of CDs and DVDs: A Guide for Librarians and Archivists is available online at: A leaflet published by the National Preservation Office Caring for CDs and DVDs can be downloaded at The IASA Cataloguing rules can be consulted for advanced advice on aspects of description of audiovisual materials. It can be purchased in printed form or viewed online at: For specific advice on cataloguing oral history consult Marion Matters, Oral History Cataloging Manual, Society of American Archivists, 1995; and go to for examples of oral history catalogue records. 15. Other useful websites Oral History Society: Getting Started Oral History Society: Is your oral history legal and ethical? Oral History Society: Training Courses 13

15 Vermont Folklife Center audio field recording equipment guide Oral History Association (USA) technology and equipment advice pages Contact Oral History, The, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB Tel /7405/7406 or