Partners and Cooperating Institutions

• Baltic Audiovisual Archival Council
• The National State Archives of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
• National Library of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
• Archives of Latvian Folklore, Riga, Latvia
• University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
• Lithuanian Central State Archives, Vilnius, Lithuania
• Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation des Collections, (CRCC), France
• Masters Degree Program in Moving Image Archiving and Preservation, New York University, United States
• National Film and Sound Archive, Australia

Duration: 3 weeks (11- 29 July 2011)

Place: Riga, Latvia and Vilnius, Lithuania

Venue
Keeping in view the specialized nature of the course, the working sessions of SOIMA 2011 were organized at two different locations in Riga, Latvia and in Vilnius, Lithuania. The University of Latvia, National Library, Archives of Latvian Folklore and the National Archives hosted sessions during the first and the third week. In the second week, the course moved to Vilnius in Lithuania, where the course sessions were held at the Lithuanian Central State Archives.

Participants
19 participants were selected for SOIMA 2011 coming from 15 countries. They represented a broad range of conservation and heritage professionals in charge of sound and image collections in museums, archives, libraries and other cultural institutions. The selection was based around the impact they are likely to have in training others in their home country, and in the importance of the collections they manage.

Course team
Recognized experts from Australia, France, Guatemala, Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands, and the United States comprised the international team leading the course. Staff members from ICCROM and partner institutions completed the course team. 

Member States represented
Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Canada, Chile, China, Estonia, France, Haiti, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, United States and Zimbabwe

Objectives
Tailored to the day-to-day challenges encountered by professionals in institutions such as archives, cultural centres, museums and libraries, the SOIMA training programme aimed to provide understanding of audiovisual materials and the paradigm of transferring the content on to various carriers.

The three-week course featured a variety of learning activities including hands-on sessions on digitization, digital preservation and audio-video recording of a live folk performance.  After the training, participants were able to highlight the value of sound and image collections in their care; make informed choices for their long-term preservation, and access and communicate effectively across disciplines.

Course workshop
As in the two previous SOIMA courses, emphasis was given on the preservation and the management of small to medium size mixed SOIMA collections. Following an introductory module on history, significance and management of sound and image collections, the course was structured in five modules:

• Media and Formats
• Preservation Planning
• Digitization
• Digital Preservation
• Preservation Management Strategies for SOIMA Collections

SOIMA 2011 Course Diary

“Every day is a nice surprise” (SOIMA 2011 participant)
On 11th July 2011 19 professionals in charge of archiving of sound and image collections in cultural institutions from 15 different countries assembled in Riga, Latvia, to participate in the third international course of the SOIMA Programme. During three weeks these participants not only had the opportunity to learn new knowledge and skills but also to network and exchange experiences between colleagues.  

Week 1

“Highly inspirational and clear presentations” (SOIMA 2011 participant)
During the first two days of the course, the lecturer Howard Besser introduced the history, significance and values of sound and image collections; ethics and institutional contexts; intellectual property rights; collection management; documentation and cataloguing principles. For participants the sessions were especially interesting thanks to the lecturer’s sharing of knowledge and experience, as well as the introduction of new topics such as of reformatting and migration, and the complexity of copyright issues.

“Dynamic rhythm of the lectures” (SOIMA 2011 participant)
In the sessions about photography, the lecturer Betrand Lavedrine combined theory with a hands-on approach.  Betrand Lavedrine’s lectures about the evolution of photographic processes and the composition of 20th century photographs, as well as risks and issues of degradation were described by participants as vivid sessions, with excellent material and interesting examples.

“Balance between basics and more specialized terms and processes” (SOIMA 2011 participant)
Participants were also extremely satisfied with Mick Newnham’s lectures and his ability to explain complex and specialized issues in clear and simple terms. Topics of particular interest were the chemical and physical composition of film; how to differentiate between polyester, PVC and cellulose nitrate; and issues related to film deterioration. Practice of film handling and repair was combined with a study visit to the Latvian Film Archive Storage.

SOIMA conference “Sound and Image collections: Current Challenges and Strategies for their Conservation and Long-Term Use”
At the end of the first week a SOIMA Conference was held with presentations from participants and the teaching team. On this occasion, participants had the opportunity to share their experiences in audiovisual (AV) archiving and exchange problems, strategies and the challenges of different AV archives; as well as confront and reflect on possible solutions.

Week 2

After the first week, the SOIMA course changed location from Riga, Latvia to Vilnius, Lithuania. Within the institutional context of the Lithuanian Central State Archives in Vilnius, the course programme focused on preservation planning and digitization of audiovisual collections, and the theoretical background of the first week was set into practice.

“This was one of the most interesting weeks with lots of work, visits to the archives, meeting new people, their approaches to similar and different themes and concepts. Our hosts were fabulous!” (SOIMA 2011 participant)
The first three days were dedicated to Audio and Video, where the lecturers Samuel Franco and Mick Newnham introduced participants to format identification and technical composition of audio and video with a practical approach. Organized into teams, participants had the opportunity to work with the collections of the Lithuanian Central State Archives on the subjects of risk and disaster preparedness; storage of magnetic media; preservation planning;  and inventory, cataloguing and prioritization.

“...Learning that all new recording media are impermanent” (SOIMA 2011 participant)
The second part of the week focused on the digital field, where the lecturers Kara van Malssen and Jouzas Markauskas introduced digitization issues. Practical sessions followed, where participants learned to digitize sound, film and video in the different installations of the Lithuanian Central State Archives.  During the lectures about digital preservation strategies, participants were able to understand the risks and requirements of digital preservation and storage.

Week 3

For the third week the SOIMA course moved from Vilnius, Lithuania, back to Riga. 

“The best of the day was our video production!” (SOIMA 2011 participant)
The last week of the course started with a field recording session at the Archives of Latvian Folklore located at the Latvian Academy of Sciences. On this occasion, participants had the chance to record the live performance of the Livonian band Nurmorkestõr, formed by young musicians, who are trying to keep the music and language of their ancestors alive.

“I learned coming up with a well structured business model” (SOIMA 2011 participant)
In the rooms of the Latvian University the lectures held by Johan Oomen, Aparna Tandon and Jouzas Markauskas mainly focused on tools and strategies for effective collection management, including access and how to deal with user needs and expectations; the development of business models; fundraising and grant applications; effective communication and networking. During several group exercises and discussions it became clear that those working with audiovisual collections have to open to new ideas and make use of online resources, for example, outsourcing the documentation of audiovisual material to the community through crowdsourcing.

“We were able to structure a disaster recovery team and find the best way to rescue SOIMA collections” (SOIMA 2011 participant)
The modules of disaster preparedness and response and risk management confronted the participants with events and problems of daily life. In the event of a disaster, good and timely decisions as well as organized teamwork and communication are essential for the safeguarding and securing of collections. Once the theoretical background was covered, the 19 participants carried out a disaster exercise: they had to rescue an audiovisual collection after a staged explosion and subsequent flood. During 45 minutes of tension, hard work and a heavy storm (which helped to make the exercise even more dramatic), the group worked as a team and was able to succeed at the end of the exercise.

“The best of the day was the visit the Folklore Archive and identifying the risks” (SOIMA 2011 participant)
During the risk management lecture held by Aparna Tandon and Jouzas Markauskas the main sources of risks to sound and image collections were discussed. Divided into groups, participants analyzed and evaluated the risks some of the collections belonging to the Archives of Latvian Folklore. The exercise showed how risk analysis allows the setting of priorities. Since a lack of resources is a problem that most archives share, this approach could help to allocate resources effectively and protect the most valuable components of the archive.

There is certainly a before and after SOIMA 2011… (SOIMA 2011 participant)
On the last day of the course, participants had the opportunity to develop and share their own home projects and evaluate the course. All projects reflected hope, inspiration and the wish to implement the acquired knowledge in the the participants' various countries and institutions. During the final evaluation, the participants highlighted the positive experience of participating in an international course. In fact, meeting specialists from diverse countries and cultures not only contributed to a fruitful exchange of knowledge and experiences, but also to networking and gaining new friends.

On 29 July the SOIMA 2011 course finally came to an end, but it should really be considered the beginning: 19 participants of 15 countries acquired the tools and knowledge to manage and preserve sound and image collections; now it is their turn to act and make their contribution to the safeguarding of the world’s audiovisual heritage.

updated on: 16 July, 2012