|
|
| Preservation
Challenges in the Digital Age |
By
Virginia Wright
Jim
Wheeler is betting you haven’t watched your videotaped
home movies lately. Unless you make digital copies of them
soon, the audio and visual specialist warns, you may never
see them again.
Wheeler, a consultant for the Library
of Congress and the National Archives, among others, is sounding
the alarm about videotape collections shelved in homes, archives,
and other institutions. The short life expectancy of magnetic
tapes and the increasing obsolescence of the machines required
to play them have combined to create a technology emergency.
“Video playback machines are no longer being made and
finding people to service the old ones is growing more and
more difficult,” Wheeler says. “Everyone with
important old videotapes must convert them to a digital medium
soon or risk losing them forever.”
|
| William
O’Farrell Fellowship |
We are pleased to announce the William O’Farrell Fellowship
program. The fellowship is awarded to an individual engaged
in research toward a publication, production, or presentation
based on moving image history and culture, particularly amateur
and nontheatrical film. The fellowship will support a month’s
study in our collections.
The program provides a stipend of
$1,500 as well as staff support, use of viewing facilities,
up to 8 hours of transfer and/or editing services, copyright
releases for educational and research purposes as available,
office space, and complimentary registration to NHF’s
2010 and/or 2011 Summer Film Symposium. Housing is not provided,
but NHF staff will assist the fellow in identifying lodging
if needed.
The William O’Farrell Fellowship
honors an important individual in the history of NHF. Bill
O’Farrell (1954-2008) worked as Chief, Moving Image
and Audio Conservation of the Archives of Canada. He was a
valued Advisor to NHF, providing intellectual and practical
support to the archives for many years.
Application materials must be received
no later than January 20, 2010. See the complete program
announcement at www.oldfilm.org.
To make a financial donation to the
fellowship fund, please contact Jessica Hosford, jessica@oldfilm.org.
|
|
|
