Sounds and images comprise a major portion of the world’s memory encompassing diverse cultures, languages and creative expressions. Yet most of the world’s twentieth century audiovisual heritage is at risk of being lost. With the current transition from analogue to digital formats, cultural institutions worldwide are facing serious difficulties due to a lack of knowledge, skills and resources. Many sound and image collections are held in institutions that do not specialize in this area and do not have the competencies or the support to deal with the collections. Lack of acquisition and preservation policies for sound and image collections have resulted in sudden and unplanned infusions of audiovisual materials into archives, libraries and museums. Furthermore, as energy costs escalate, cold storages that are required for preservation of analogue materials such as film and magnetic tape are becoming unaffordable and environmentally unsound. In addition, the practices for the digitization of sound and image collections are still uncertain and not standardized. Limited access to open source technologies and rapid format obsolescence in the digital environment has further complicated the issue.

In Europe: 70% of the respondents, in a survey involving 400 cultural institutions in Europe, indicated that they lacked professionally trained staff to ensure preservation of their sound and image collections –Tracking the Reel World-A survey of audiovisual collections in Europe (European Commission for Preservation and Access 2008).

In USA: 50% of all titles produced before 1950 have vanished and fewer than 20% of features from 1920s survive in complete form; survival rates of 1910 titles are <10% (none of these are negatives) Report on Film Preservation (Library of Congress, USA, 1993).

In Brazil: As a bequest, the National Archives of Brazil which primarily cares for paper based documentary heritage, received 80,000 films and 13,000 magnetic tapes. To meet the preservation needs of this special collection, the National Archives had to hire extra staff and develop a training programme for them. As part of this training initiative, the SOIMA 2007 international course of ICCROM was hosted by the National Archives.

• Encourage exchange of knowledge and information between specialist and non specialist institutions as well as professionals;
• integrate concerns for preservation of such collections within general institutional preservation policies;
• share, refine and disseminate methodology and tools to allow identification, cataloguing, safe storage and access of sound and image collections;
• increase awareness on the values and fragility of sound and image collections within Member States.

Activities for 2010–11

As a capacity building programme for national cultural institutions in Member States, the programme has identified three priority areas of activity: Training, Awareness generation/dissemination and Research. Activities to date have helped in developing effective partnerships between ICCROM and several key institutions specializing in sound and image preservation. An active network of more than 50 national and international institutions engaged in disseminating knowledge on sound and image has emerged. Following up on the course ideas, several participants of the SOIMA courses have undertaken national projects for preservation management of sound and image collections (refer to the implementation report).

Safeguarding Sound and Image Collections- International Course
Based on the experience of the previous international courses, the third SOIMA international course will be offered to mid-career professionals in charge of sound and image collections in museums, archives and libraries that do not specialize in sound and image preservation. It will provide them with basics of sound and image preservation while placing special emphasis on the need to recognize different values associated with sound and image records in diverse institutional and cultural contexts. Based on key programme approaches, the course will provide better understanding of digital preservation and the possibilities offered by new technologies within the framework of management of cultural heritage collections.

A follow-up programme will include at least 15 -20 projects aimed at conservation of sound and image collections including digital preservation and web based access to such records in participants’ home institutions. In order to bridge the existing information / knowledge gaps, the outcomes of these projects will be made available in form of case studies that can be accessed through the ICCROM website adding to the online information generated through the previous SOIMA courses.

updated on: 11 March, 2010