Preservation Planning Survey - Reformatting
Photocopying
1. Does the institution use photocopying as a preservation tool? What types of materials have been preservation photocopied?
2. Is the work done in-house or contracted out? If it is contracted out, who is the vendor, and what standards and procedures
does the vendor follow? If it is done in-house, what guidelines are followed?
3. What are your institution's priorities for preservation photocopying?
Preservation Microfilming
1. Have historical materials been microfilmed for preservation? If yes, describe what has been filmed, when it was filmed, who
filmed it, and what standards were followed in the filming process.
2. If a commercial vendor provides microfilming, does the institution have a contract that specifies preservation standards for
filming, processing, and storage? Is the film inspected to make sure it meets quality standards? What inspection methods are
used?
3. Are archival enclosures used for storage of microfilm negatives and positive-use copies?
4. Are master negatives of all microfilm stored at an offsite location? Does this site meet environmental standards for microfilm
preservation?
5. Are microfilm readers cleaned and maintained on a regular basis? By whom, and how often? Are staff and users instructed in
the use of microfilm equipment? Are users well supervised?
6. Are there breaks, scratches, spots, or other damage in the microfilm collection?
7. What are the institution's highest priorities for preservation microfilming?
Duplication of Audiovisual Collections
1. Have any of the institution's collections been digitized? What was the goal of the project (e.g., to provide short-term or
medium-term access; to create digital data that will be preserved over the long term)?
2. Do all photographic prints have negatives? If not, is there a program to produce copy negatives? Are there original negatives
in the collection that do not have corresponding prints?
3. Are there any nitrate or early safety film negatives in the collection? Is there evidence of deterioration (bubbling of emulsion,
discoloration, odor) that would indicate a priority for duplication? Have arrangements been made to duplicate and discard
any nitrate film?
4. Is there any motion picture film on nitrate base in the collection? Is it stored according to local regulations? Have
arrangements been made to duplicate it as soon as possible and discard the original film?
5. Have preservation masters and service copies been made of audiotapes and videotapes that are actively deteriorating or are in
formats that are becoming obsolete? Are the masters in digital or analog format?
6. What vendor(s) provide duplication services for the collections? Are they experienced in working with historical collections?
7. What are the institution's highest priorities for duplication of audiovisual collections?
Digital Imaging
1. Have any of the institution's collections been digitized? What was the goal of the project (e.g., to provide short-term or
medium-term access; to create digital data that will be preserved over the long term)?
2. Was the work contracted out? What guidelines and procedures were used? How are the resulting digital objects indexed,
described, and stored?
3. Have the scanned collections been preserved using traditional preservation methods (e.g., housing in archival boxes/folders;
preservation microfilming)?
4. If scanning has not been undertaken, is there interest in digital imaging in the future? Are the institution's administrators and
governing board familiar with the limitations of digital imaging as a preservation medium?
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