General Introduction

Many broadcasters, national archives, libraries and museums, but especially small and medium sized archives, responsible for audiovisual collections, currently face major technical, organisational, financial and legal challenges in preserving their holdings. Technical obsolescence, physical deterioration, the lack of adequate cataloguing and the extensive amount of material, demand widely concerted policies and efficient technical services in order to accelerate preservation efforts.

The objective of this website is to offer support and advice to starter and developing audiovisual archives. Its goal is to provide online guidelines covering all major aspects of audiovisual collection management, from collection development to cataloguing, preservation and access services. It includes a reviewed collection of resources produced by leading professional organisations such as FIAF, IASA, the Library of Congress, EBU, UNESCO and AMIA.

Audiovisual archives act as a navigator for users looking for access to their cultural past, ensuring they get reliable information. The range of audiovisual materials acquired by an archive must be driven by the needs of its users, upon the extent of its activities, and upon its particular responsibilities. This also applies to the means of providing access. In developing countries, providing access to audiovisual materials and associated equipment could be seen as vital, especially since, in many places, oral and visual expression continue to play a primary role in communication.

We believe that there is a continuing need for information resources concerning the management of traditional film, video, sound and still image collections, alongside information on the growing challenges encountered in the digital domain. Therefore resources reviewed here focus on both analogue and digital guidelines and procedures.

This site plans to broaden its guidelines and information over the coming years. Your feedback on the its usefulness is appreciated.