NOVAC Works with TU to Preserve Historical Community Media

Founded in 1972, New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC) is the Gulf South’s oldest media arts nonprofit organization. NOVAC continues to take advantage of the latest advances in media technology for the purposes of community communication and education. In a joint effort with NOVAC, my Tulane University Media Analysis class has participated in the Dartmouth University Media Ecology Project by screening recently digitized videos. The media ecology project not only creates a classroom of content, but also allows for the creation of tags and notes on files. While this tools is similar to those available on sites like Vimeo, the project aims to help researchers find archival information across collections that are not yet public.

NOVAC has been working to preserve historical and community media, which were recorded and stored using now-obsolete technologies for example: Beta, Beta SP, DigiBeta, VHS, Hi8, miniDV, and DV Cam. NOVAC goes through a number of steps to prepare content for long-term digital storage. We assisted towards the end of the process by adding metadata to the content already digitized. With over 2,000 items in multiple formats, the whole process to archive these videos can be extremely time consuming.

To start, copies of tapes are obtained and added to the project’s collection for proper storage. The condition of the tapes is evaluated and they are assessed for value and prioritization. Because many of these videos are on outdated media their condition is sometimes extremely poor – they may contain mold, sticky surfaces, or even broken tapes. Once digitized, sound and color enhancements are added as needed. To store the recently digitized videos NOVAC has created a master file, along with other access files to organize content. To easily locate the videos a collection of metadata from each film will be added, allowing for search by keywords. The last step of the storage process is checking the video for access and licensing terms. Once this is complete the physical copy can be disposed of, and the video can be stored for the long-term.

Metadata consists of keywords and tags – information that makes it easier for the public to search and access NOVAC’s digital video collection. Adding the right metadata means people can find a video even if they can’t remember its title. For example, Streetcar Segregation is a short video – only eleven minutes long – about the history of segregation on New Orleans streetcars and buses. After watching the short, I was able to create a short description of the video and a list of keywords. This helped categorize the video, a vital step on its journey to long-term storage. By tagging each video with a range of relevant words, a catalog of the collection can be created, organized into topics. This will make it easier for researchers to find related content and tell new stories about community media in the city, the South, and the United States.