The Race for Time: Saving Analog Video and Audio

Presented by Shiraz Bhathena, UWM Libraries.

Bing Crosby Enterprises gave the first demonstration of videotape in November 1951. Since then, it has become a predominant recording format globally and has documented a massive amount of history. Unfortunately, while the technology for recording has transitioned in recent decades, the means to play back these historic recordings has declined. In fact, with the amount of working analog video decks left in the world, it is estimated that what archivists aren’t able to preserve in the next few decades may be lost forever.

Many attempt to preserve analog video and audio recordings, but few know how to do it archivally. This talk will go over the workflow of how an archive should properly preserve and digitize its video and audio recordings, why digitization is important, issues that can be encountered when working with audiotape and videotape, and why this race against time is so important. This event will be presented in both an in-person and hybrid format.

Register: https://uwm.edu/libraries/digital-humanities-lab/dh-lab-events/dh-lab-registration-the-race-for-time-saving-analog-video-and-audio/