Digitization

This is the core function of the Digitization Unit. Digitization is completed both to increase accessibility to items and as a preservation strategy. This allows us to provide proxy copies to offsite researchers, most often via a streaming copy on our own website, but it also ensures that the long-term viability of the object is not dependent on its physical carrier.

What gets digitized?

All objects being digitized should have an order record in the Media Orders Airtable (read this page to understand more about how the Airtable works and what information is in each record). Orders come in through a variety of channels. Oftentimes, a researcher is communicating directly with a staff member, and the staff member will enter the order for them on their behalf.

Types of objects

BMA holds audio, video, film, and digital objects. Any of these could be the target object of an order. Our orders workflow is divided into stations, which roughly equate to these categories of objects. Technicians often have a station of preference and will focus on completing the core function of digitization at that station, which is creating a transfer or digital proxy of the analog object, or retrieving the digital object from archival storage.

Stations

Currently, there are four stations, which often but do not always correspond to a physical location, as Digital objects can be retrieved at almost any physical location. Audio objects are always digitized in the audio lab, and this includes 1/4" audiotape, audio cassettes, audio CDs, DAT, transcription discs, and microcassettes. Video objects are always digitized in the video lab, and this includes Betacam, Betacam SP, Betacam SX, Betamax, Blu-ray, Digital Betacam, Digital8, DVCAM, DVCPRO, DVD, Hi8, MiniDV, S-VHS, U-matic, VHS, VHS-C, and Video8. Film is always digitized in the film scanning room, and includes 8mm, 16mm, and Super 8mm film. Digital objects can be retrieved at any station with a network connection and an LTO drive. Formats not listed in one of the above categories are formats that we cannot handle in-house, and must be sent out to a vendor.