Media has come in many forms ever since French inventor Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville created the first sound recording of the folksong "Au clair de la lune" in 1860.
It can sometimes be difficult to locate the technology necessary to access or play the data saved to or recorded on old media. The good news is the library is here to help!
Preserving Media at Arapahoe Libraries
Arapahoe Libraries is working to explore new technology and provide access to older technology that allows patrons to preserve media that might otherwise be lost forever.
Beyond simply allowing you to read or listen to old data, digitizing old media also ensures that your data is preserved for generations to come on the latest technologies such as external hard drives, flash drives, or in the Cloud. Although a format that is quickly becoming obsolete, CDs and DVDs remain a safe storage option for digitized media as well.
In this post we look at various media types, some of which our patrons bring into our libraries to preserve at one of our Digital Media Stations.
Audio
Vinyl Records
Also known as a phonograph record, gramophone record, disc record, LP or just a record. Vinyl is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove that runs from the outer edge toward the center of the disc.
Records are generally described by their diameter in inches: 12-inch, 10-inch, 7-inch. The rotational speeds at which they are played are: 8 1/3, 16 2/3, 33 1/3, 45, and 78 rpm.
Reel-to-Reel Audio Tape
Also called an open-reel recording, reel-to-reel audio tape is an analog form of magnetic tape audio recording in which the recording medium is held on a reel and not in a cassette.
Reel-to-reel systems use tape that is 1/4, 1/2, 1, or 2 inches wide (6.35, 12.70, 25.40, or 50.80 mm), which normally moves at 3 3/4, 7 1/2, 15, or 30 inches per second (9.5, 19.1, 38.1, or 76.2 cm/s). A reel-to-reel recorder/player is necessary to access the data on a reel-to-reel audio tape.
Cassette Tape
Also known as a tape cassette, audio cassette, or simply a tape or cassette. The cassette tape is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Tape length is usually measured in minutes of total playing or recording time. Playing and recording time varies from 60, 90, and 120 minutes.
Learn how to digitize cassette tapes using the ION Tape Express Plus (available for checkout).
Compact Disc
Also known as a CD. The CD is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to store and play digital audio recordings. Standard CDs are designed to hold up to 74 minutes of uncompressed stereo digital audio, or about 700 MB of data.
Microcassette and Minicassette Tape
The microcassette (below left) is an analog audio storage medium. Microcassettes were often used in voice recorders, voice dictation machines, telephone answering machines, and computer data storage.
The microcassette tape runs in the opposite direction of a standard cassette tape, moving from the right spool to the left. The minicassette (below right) is also a magnetic tape audio cassette used in first-generation telephone answering machines, dictation, transcription, and data storage for home computers. Note the difference in tape reels.
Video
VHS Tape
Remember Blockbuster before they offered DVDs? How about the format war between Betamax and VHS? VHS won that war.
The VHS tape was the standard for consumer-level analog video recording and video stores in the 1980s and 1990s. It was also the standard for consumer camcorders during the mid to late 1980s.
Betamax Tape (aka Betamax)
Betamax is a consumer-level analog video cassette. Betamax lost the videotape format war to VHS.
VHS-C Camcorder Tape
The VHS-C tape is a smaller version of the VHS tape, primarily used in consumer-grade camcorders in the 1980s. The smaller tape size allowed for smaller camcorders. Playback required connecting the camcorder to a TV or using a VHS-C to VHS adapter.
Learn how to convert VHS-C to VHS using the VHS-C to VHS Videocassette Adapter (available for checkout).
Hi8 and Digital8 Camcorder Tapes
Hi8 and Digital8 are 8mm camcorder tapes enclosed in a cassette. They are smaller than VHS-C tapes, allowing camcorders to be more compact.
A video recorded on Hi8 will play on a Hi8 or Digital8 camcorder. A Digital8 recording will not play on a Hi8 camcorder. Check the labeling on your camcorder to determine the type you own.
MiniDV Camcorder Tape
The MiniDV tape is even more compact than Hi8 and was originally intended for amateur use, though it was widely adopted.
To digitize MiniDV tapes, you must have a working MiniDV camcorder, as there is no adapter like those used for VHS-C.
8mm Film
Typically stored on 3-inch (50-foot) reels with an approximate runtime of three minutes. Multiple reels are often spliced together onto a 7-inch reel.
Learn how to digitize 8mm film using the MovieMaker Pro (available for checkout). Splices can cause issues during digitization.
Super 8 Film
Similar to 8mm film, but with a larger center hole and different frame and sprocket hole sizes.
Learn how to digitize Super 8 film using the MovieMaker Pro (available for checkout).
Photography
35mm Slides
A 35mm slide is a mounted transparency intended for projection. Slide film produces a positive image on a transparent base.
When scanning, place the glossy (reflective) side of the film face down on the glass. The dull side should face up.
Learn how to scan 35mm slides using an Epson scanner (available for checkout).
Data
5.25-inch Floppy Disk
To access files on these disks, you will likely need the computer used to create them.
3.5-inch Floppy Disk
External 3.5-inch floppy disk drives are still manufactured, making it possible to access old files. Some modern operating systems may struggle to read them.
Flash Drives
Flash drives come in various brands and storage sizes. It is recommended to have two for backup purposes.
External or Portable Hard Drive
External or portable hard drives come in various brands and storage sizes.
Cloud Storage
Cloud storage sends data to a remote, off-site storage system. Examples include Google Drive and Dropbox.
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