Get the Max from the Mix! Evaluating, Preserving and Making the Most of Audiovisual Materials in Mixed Collections

Abstract

Snowden Becker (Co-founder of The Center for Home Movies) discussed the basic steps of identifying, assessing and preserving audiovisual materials. She offered a numeric order to follow, but prefaced the order by stating that this process can happen organically, and not to consider the numeric order gospel. These steps were outlined: counting, identifying, assessing, describing, quantifying, prioritizing, preserving and publicizing. She emphasized the importance of counting first, as it creates a new semantic reality to the collection, as well as makes grant writing easier, since numbers are more compelling than expressions of “the sky is falling.” She also advocated a pilot of the project, stating that it saves money, and will show how wrong things can go, or “how much you don’t know about your collection.” To close, she promoted publicizing what you do, stating that the more we do it, the easier it is for people who follow us.