America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures: the First 100 Beyond Memory Securing Our Dance Heritage Sustaining America's Dance Legacy Dance Videotapes at Risk A Copyright Primer for the Dance Community Cataloging Guidelines Processing Procedures Manual for Dance and Other Performing Arts Collections Learning Applications to Document Dance Magnetic Storage and Tape Handling

IMPROVING STORAGE CONDITIONS

The first line of defense in any videotape preservation plan is to provide appropriate storage conditions. Both temperature and humidity influence how quickly a tape deteriorates. The magnetic binders that coat the polyester tape base interact with moisture, as measured by relative humidity (RH) in the storage environment. Eventually hydrolysis breaks down the binders chemically, which results in a number of harmful conditions, such as oxide shedding, sticky shed syndrome, and residues (for a description of common tape problem, see Video Preservation Fact Sheet 6, Association of Moving Image Archivists, http://www.amianet.org). Experts such as the American National Standards Institute recommend the following cool and dry conditions for the extended storage of videotape.

Maximum Temperature	RH Range
68° F 59° F 50° F	20-30% 20-40% 20%-50%

The chart indicates that cooler temperatures support higher humidity levels without causing harm. Temperatures colder than 50° F are not recommended because evidence shows that tape lubricants may then ooze to the surface. RH readings above 60% risk the development of fungus, a danger to both tapes and to people who work with them. To retard fungal growth in the storage environment, use fans to circulate air and, if necessary, use supplementary dehumidifiers, especially during the hot summer months if air conditioning is not available.

You can monitor temperature and humidity levels with a number of devices: from a $20 to $30 gauge, purchased at your local hardware store, to a thermohygrometer or hygrothermograph ($80 to $1,000 and up) purchased from a conservation equipment supplier (see list below). All are acceptable, but only the hygrothermograph provides a written record of temperature and humidity levels; with other devices, you’ll need to keep your own written log.

Never keep your videotapes in a hot storage area— they may be irreversibly damaged!!

Other safe storage practices include:

• Practice “strategic dispersal” by separating copies in storage. Never store all copies of the same original in one place.
• Store tapes upright, on edge, like books on a library shelf. A tape stored horizontally for a long period of time exposes its edge to damage and distorts the tape pack (the tape wound onto the spool).
• Keep storage areas clean; eliminate as much dust and dirt as possible; and ban eating, smoking, and drinking in the storage area. Avoid materials that emit airborne particles such as carpeting, fabric fibers, and exposed insulation. Do not permit any gaseous fumes. Ideally, the room should be windowless and used for storage only. If not windowless, make sure that windows are covered. Never store tapes in direct sunlight. Turn lights off when not in use.
• Avoid attics and basements or other places subject to extremes of temperature and humidity, such as near radiators.
• Although erasure of taped material from stray magnetic fields is rare in storage areas, to be safe, avoid storing tapes near motors.
• Use metal rather than wooden shelving. Wood is a fire hazard because it promotes fire spread during an incident. Some woods emit harmful gases, and some hold moisture, thus allowing fungus growth.
• If possible, store the most valuable tapes in a room protected by sprinklers or a gas-based fire suppressant system.
• Store tapes in protective archival containers—these are hard shelled, dust and water resistant, and chemically inert (see list of suppliers below.) Archival containers only cost about $1.00 each, and can make a significant difference in prolonging the life of your videotapes. Avoid cardboard containers.
• Keep a minimum of three copies of each tape:
  1. the original (your archival copy and the earliest generation of a recording you own);
  2. a master (copied from the original and used to make further copies); and
  3. a reference copy (for loan and everyday use).
  Always hold onto the most complete versions and the best copies. Retain additional copies only if space permits.

SAFE HANDLING AND PLAYBACK

The following procedures are intended to minimize damage to videotape from poor handling and playback practices. Abusive handling causes irreparable damage. Even under ideal conditions, playback is an inherently abrasive process, caused by friction as the tape is run along the rollers and magnetic heads.

• Make a reference copy for routine use; avoid using the original tape or only copy. Clearly label each one and, for safekeeping, store them in separate locations.
• Remove or adjust recording tabs on cassettes to prevent anyone from accidentally or deliberately erasing or recording over something valuable.
• Handle tapes or cassettes carefully at all times. Dropping a video cassette, for example, may crack the shell (the outer plastic covering of the cassette) and render the tape unplayable until it is inserted into a new shell.
• Avoid touching the tape’s surface or edge.
• Allow adequate time for tapes to reach ambient room temperature before using them, and avoid all rapid changes in temperature.
• Leave tapes wound on the take-up hub after playback, and rewind immediately before re-use. Never store tapes partially rewound or in the middle of the tape pack.
• Rewind tapes with a VCR (video cassette recorder), not a rewind machine. Periodically (once every few years), rewind any tapes that were stored under fairly poor conditions, such as prolonged exposure to high humidity. Rewind a tape immediately if you observe a problem, such as edge exposure, poor tension, pack slippage, or wavy pack (see Video Preservation Fact Sheet 6, Association of Moving Image Archivists, http://www.amianet.org, for a description of common tape problems). Whenever rewinding, proceed cautiously and observe any damage.
• Inspect tapes for dirt, fungus, residues, or other damage. If apparent, consult with a trained professional. Tape cleaning is a difficult and exacting process, which should not be attempted by untrained staff without proper equipment.
• Avoid using pause, freeze frame, or skip scan features. Use a reference copy if these functions are necessary for analysis, study, or cataloging.
• Make sure that anyone handling original recordings has proper training or is informed about appropriate procedures for playback and re-recording operations. You might wish to pass out written guidelines (such as this brochure) to anyone handling your original recordings.
• Attach labels with pertinent information (e.g., date, title, tape number, running time, master or copy) to the cassette and its protective container. An inadequately labeled tape will require playback in the future to determine its content. If it is deteriorated so badly that it can’t be played, you will not know if its contents warrant restoration. Use archival labels, available from suppliers.
• Catalog large collections according to professional descriptive standards. Essential content descriptors include the title of the work or event; the company, group, or individual name and other production credits; the date and place; and whether it is a performance, dress rehearsal, etc. Technical information might include the videographer’s name, running time, original format, tape speed for VHS, and whether in color or black and white. Contact an established archives, library, or service organization such as Independent Media Arts Preservation (IMAP, http://www.imappreserve.org) for guidance.

Playback equipment has an important role in videotape care:

• If you know what type of machine a tape was recorded on, and you have the machine, keep it! Videotape formats become obsolete so quickly that you may not be able to play the tape any other way. Be aware, however, that old equipment is difficult to maintain. Reformat and update your obsolete tapes as soon as possible.
• Ensure that playback equipment is working properly before inserting a tape. Insert a test tape before playing important ones.
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions for care and cleaning of playback equipment. Take all precautions to prevent dust and dirt from entering the tape path; these particles can scratch the tape’s surface.
• Clean tape heads between plays with cotton swabs and laboratorygrade isopropyl alcohol or a Freon cleaner when playing original or master copies. A buildup of oxide will also scratch tapes.