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Audiovisual storage

Audiovisual (AV) media refers to any format used to house audio or video content such as an audio cassette, DVD or VHS.

AV media is fragile. You need to handle it carefully. Even minor damage can cause significant breakdown or loss of information.

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Identify and store AV media appropriately. If you transfer AV media to us, you should also pass on identification details. Identify different types of AV media with as much detail as possible, including format and brand.

A high level of care is required to preserve your audio and video recordings for the future. If a suitable level of care is not possible, you should us and transfer it to us if needed.

If there are any collections or items of media you’re particularly worried about, you can arrange a visit from a member of our preservation team to assess whether immediate deposit is needed.

The following guidelines cover best practise when handling and storing AV media. But there are many generations and types of media.

Contact us if you have questions or need advice.

General advice

Cool stable environment for AV media

Keep AV media in a cool stable environment. High heat and relative humidity — or dramatic fluctuations in either heat or humidity — can cause damage to the media. Ideally the temperature would be between 8 to 16 degrees Celsius and the relative humidity between 30 to 50 percent. If storage of this kind is not available, it’s most important to avoid areas with high temperature or humidity. If this is also not possible, contact us to discuss how to manage or transfer this media.

Handling AV 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

  • 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.

Mechanical discs

Mechanical discs include vinyl discs and 78s and are vulnerable to temperature and warp, if stored incorrectly. For about half of 20th century, discs were commonly made from shellac, and these records typically ran at a rotational speed of 78 rpm, giving it the nickname "78s" ("seventy-eights"). Vinyl discs came later. They should be stored in a low, stable temperature without being exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period. You should take special care 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 you or a staff member is not confident using the equipment, seek advice before attempting playback.

Optical discs

Optical discs include CD, DVD and Blu-ray. Avoid using stickers or labels anywhere on the disc itself. If some sort of labelling is required on the media, restrict 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 the case can damage the disc. Make sure 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. Avoid using them to hold unique data for a long period. If a DVD or CD contains data such as audio and text files, transfer the data 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 (if they’re written in a way that allows them 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.