Preserving Our Audiovisual Heritage: A National and International Challenge

Abstract

Audiovisuals materials have made an enormous impact on all societies, and are primary evidence in their own right, yet they are denied a place in most national library collections. The case for extending legal deposit to these materials is strong, though good results can sometimes be obtained from voluntary deposit. Before deciding on the best method of establishing a national collection (or collections) it is advisable to see how effective coverage will be and what use will be made of the resulting collections. Whereas access to print-based materials can be by interlibrary loan, photocopy etc., for audiovisual materials the original may be the only copy available, and there may be long waiting lists to use equipment to access them. However, recent innovations such as the TIMS/DADS project are making remote access technically feasible. Several international bodies are encouraging research into selection criteria for different formats, training needs, legal issues etc. Unesco has funded work on the production of an international audiovisual directory and an international glossary of authorivusal archive terms. An International Round Table on Audiovisual Records, comprising the main relevant bodies, was formed in 1981.