Audio Engineering Society Standards Committee

May 2001 meeting of SC-03-06

[Last printing 30 August 2001] Report of the SC-03-06 Working Group on Digital Library and Archive Systems of the SC-03 Subcommittee on the Preservation and Restoration of Audio Recording meeting, held in conjunction with the AES 110th Convention in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2001-05-12

Vice chair W. Deutsch convened the meeting. The agenda and the report from the previous meeting were approved as written.

Current development projects

AES-X98 Review of Audio Metadata

This project is being carried on by the SC-03-06-A task group on metadata harmonization chaired by T. Sheldon. The history of the creation of the WG was reviewed, including the formation of the TG on metadata harmonization. The relation of this AES effort to other professional audio and archiving communities and efforts was discussed at some length. The need for cooperative actions with widely diverse communities with interest in the subject was stressed repeatedly.

W. Sistrunk, from the descriptive metadata writing team of the TG, distributed and reviewed the current draft of the descriptive metadata document developed by the TG and asked for comments from the WG. The draft seeks to synthesize numerous existing methodologies around the widely adopted Dublin Core schema. The suggestion was made to add the unique material identifier (UMID) from Society of Mothion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) 330M and other sources as an element in the draft. This recommendation was accepted unanimously.

D. Ackerman, from the administrative metadata writing team, distributed a rough draft showing metadata for audio preservation and two other documents showing his approach and thoughts on administrative metadata. He described that approach which is to help archivists do what they need to do, not tell them what to do. He also emphasized his attempt to synthesize approaches known to the writing team. J. Nunn suggested that Ackerman combine the three documents into one document with more description of intent and method.

It was agreed by those present that the approaches embraced by these two efforts were appropriate. The next steps for the TG on metadata harmonization call for the completion of the drafts, including the merging into one document of the administrative metadata items. The next drafts are planned to be available in time for the AES 111th convention. If possible, the documents will be post on the TG FTP site earlier for review.

AES-X99 Transfers to Digital Storage

The WG agreed to recommend that the project be suspended.

AES-X100 Asset Management

The WG agreed to recommend that the project be suspended.

AES-X120 Liaison with International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA)

J. Nunn contacted IASA president Crispin Jewitt suggesting that a liaison arrangement be created between AES and IASA in the area of metadata. This idea was supported by IASA, and D. Schueller represented IASA at this meeting.

New projects

No project requests were received or introduced.

New Business

There was no new business.

The next meeting is scheduled to be held in conjunction with the AES 111th Convention in New York, New York, US.


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