Audiovisual storage

• Keep AV media in a cool stable environment. High heat, relative humidity or dramatic fluctuations in either, can cause damage to the media. Ideally the temperature would be between 8-10 degrees Celsius and the relative humidity between 25-30%. If storage of this kind is not available, it is most important to avoid areas with high temperature or humidity. If this is not possible we can be contacted to discuss how to manage or transfer this media

• Never touch a surface where information is recorded. For example, the surface of a CD or DVD, the grooved area of a vinyl disc, or exposed magnetic tape of an audio or video cassette

• Make sure your hands are clean and dry before handling any media

• Do not flex or bend any items and store them in an upright position with each side fully supported. Nothing should be stacked on top of or lean against AV media

Such as vinyl discs, 78s .

• Mechanical discs are very vulnerable to temperature and warp easily if stored incorrectly

• They should be stored in a low, stable temperature without being exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period

• Special care should be taken to store these pieces of media in an upright and supported position

• Mechanical discs are very easy to damage when playback equipment is not used correctly. If a staff member is not confident using the equipment they should seek advice before attempting playback

Such as CD, DVD, Blu-ray.

• Stickers or labels should not be used anywhere on the disc itself

• If some sort of labelling is required on the media confine any writing to the central plastic hub where no information is stored

• Remove discs carefully from cases by first pushing down on the centre hub of the case before gently lifting the disc out. Bending can damage the disc

• Ensure the disc is correctly placed in the tray of any piece of playback equipment before closing

• Writable CDs, DVDs, CD Rs or DVD Rs have a short life span so should not be used to hold unique data for a long period

• If a DVD or CD contains data such as audio and text files the data should be transferred to a digital storage medium such as a hard drive.

• If a CD is an authored audio CD or a DVD is an authored video disk, meaning they are written in such a way as to be able to be played back on consumer audio CD players or DVD players then transfer of a disc image may be needed. In this case these items can be transferred to us without first attempting to transfer their data onto digital storage

Such as Cassette, open reel tape, video cassette

• Magnetic media is prone to chemical instability and if you are unable to store these media in a cool, dry environment then contact us for advice and/or transfer of media

• Rewind or fast-forward a tape fully before storing it for a long period of time.

• Always stop a recording before rewinding or fast forwarding

• Do not leave recordings in “pause” mode for long periods

• Avoid placing media directly beside magnetic devices such as headphones

• Listen for muffled or squeaking sounds or watch for a distorted picture that could indicate a cassette or tape is not playing correctly and may be damaged