Report of the SC-03-04 Working Group on Storage and Handling of Media of the SC-03 Subcommittee on Preservation and Restoration of Audio held in New York, NY., US., 2003-10-11.
The meeting was convened by chair T. Sheldon.
The agenda and the report of the previous meeting held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2003-03-23 were approved as distributed.
Open projects
AES22-R: Review of AES22-1997 (r2003): AES recommended practice for audio preservation and restoration -- Storage of polyester-based magnetic tape.
This standard was reaffirmed in 2003. No comments have been received subsequent to reaffirmation. No action is needed at this time. The status of the standard remains unchanged.
AES28-R: Review of AES28-1997 (r2003): AES standard for audio preservation and restoration - Method for estimating life expectancy of compact discs (CD-ROM), based on effects of temperature and relative humidity.
This standard was reaffirmed in 2003. No comments have been received subsequent to reaffirmation. No action is needed at this time. The status of this standard remains unchanged.
AES35-R: Review of AES35-2000: AES standard for audio preservation and restoration -- Method for estimating life expectancy of magneto-optical (M-O) discs, based on effects of temperature and relative humidity.
This standard is due for mandatory review in 2005. Unless the AES/I3A Joint Technical Committee takes action to revise the document earlier, the working group expects to recommend reaffirmation by 2004-05.
AES38-R: Review of AES38-2000: AES standard for audio preservation and restoration -- Life expectancy of information stored in recordable compact disc systems -- Method for estimating, based on effects of temperature and relative humidity.
This standard is due for mandatory review in 2005. Unless the AES/I3A Joint Technical Committee takes action to revise the document earlier, the working group expects to recommend reaffirmation by 2004-05.
Development projects
AES-X54: Magnetic Tape Care and Handling
A draft of this proposed standard has been sent to the Secretariat for formatting. The document will be available from the Secretariat by 2003-12-25. When it is available it will be distributed for a working group review, and upon approval to SC members as a PCFC. The goal is revised to produce a CFC by 2004-05.
AES-X55: Projection of the Life Expectancy of Magnetic Tape.
This project has yet to yield supportable scientific approaches to achieve the goal of measuring the life expectancy of magnetic tape. Several avenues of possibility remain open in the minds of working group members. The project remains active.
AES-X80: Liaison with AES/I3A-TG5-WG5 Joint Technical Committee (JTC)
This liaison is active and productive, with many AESSC members participating and many valuable standards and recommended practices produced and being written.
Liaisons
C. Lacinak raised the possibility of establishing a liaison relationship with the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA), and proposed that such a liaison. The liaison with AMIA would encompass the area of digital audio and wold recognize the shared purposes of the two organizations in this area. The working group agreed to pursue the liaison with AMIA; Lacinak and Sheldon agreed to pursue the subject.
New Projects
Two potential new work items were discussed.
1. Care and handling of optical discs. This document is currently being drafted by the AES/I3A Joint Technical Commission as a part of the AES-X80 liaison. The proposed standard would be a companion of the standard of care and handling of magnetic tape (see AES-X54, above). The working group unanimously agreed to proceed with this new work item. Sheldon will submit a proposal by 2003-12.
2. Extended term storage environment for multiple media archives. In recent years, standards and recommended practices have been published for a variety of media that carry audio content as well as other forms of content (e.g., still image, moving image, data). These various standards and recommended practices call for different temperature and humidity storage environments and assume the ability of archive to segregate media types into specific storage environments. This new work item seeks to establish a single storage environment definition for multi-media facilities. The working group agreed unanimously to proceed with this new work item for audio stored in multimedia environments. Sheldon will submit a proposal by 2003-12
New Business
The subject of "long-life" digital media was raised. It was noted that no currently available digital media offered sufficient longevity to avoid the high costs of back-up copies and migration of content. K. Tanaka noted the establishment of a working group in Japan to investigate the development of new long-life media. The working group warmly expressed its interest and support of this effort.
The next meeting is scheduled to coincide with the AES 116th convention in Berlin, Germany, 2004-05.
