Resources about Caring for Media Collections

Non-Book and Paper Materials

Your collection may contain a wide variety of formats other than book, paper, or photographic materials.  Most items you wish to preserve need some sort of care or preventative measures, so consult these resources for more information about how to preserve all your valued items. 

Moving Images (videotape, 8mm and 16mm film)

“Film Forever”
Association of Moving Image Archivists

“Videotape Preservation Fact Sheets”
Association of Moving Image Archivists

“Care, Handling, and Storage of Motion Picture Film”
Library of Congress

“Videotape Preservation”
Conservation Online, Jim Wheeler

“Caring for Home Videotape”
American Institute for Conservation

CDs, DVDs, Diskettes, Audio Tapes

“Care of Archival Compact Discs”
National Parks Service

"CD Formats and Their Longevity - FAQ"
"Computer Hard Disks and Diskettes - FAQ"
"Video, Audio Recordings and 8mm Films - FAQ"
Canadian Conservation Institute

“Electronic Media Collections Care for Small Museums and Archives”
Canadian Conservation Institute

“Care, Handling, and Storage of Audio Visual Materials”
Library of Congress

Digital Content

“Personal Archiving: Preserving Your Digital Memories”
Library of Congress