Preservation Issues in American Corporate Sound Recording Archives

by Higgins, Christian D

This study presents a critical review of preservation issues in American corporate sound recording archives and discusses recent work on an evolving national standard for the digital preservation of audio material. It also considers how record labels assess the value of their archival holdings and how this view influences preservation decisions within a corporate context. Included is a comparison between corporate practice and work within organizational, educational, and governmental archives of recorded sound. The paper closes with the interpretation of data compiled from a research questionnaire administered to professionals responsible for managing collections of recorded sound. These interviews assess preservation practice, digitization efforts, and consensus on digital preservation from a variety of institutional perspectives.