VHS Preservation Challenges

There are several challenges surrounding the digitization and preservation of VHS tapes. As we found out during our own digitization work, the digitization process itself is not challenging - in fact, with the basic equipment (a computer, component cables, a digitization device and a capture software such as EZGrabber), it is an easy and painless process. 

In general, it is challenging that VHS tapes degrade quite fast, within an estimated 10-30 year period. As most VHS tapes are from between 1970-2000, this means organisations have to digitize them as soon as possible. This may be difficult due to lack of equipment, lack of personnel and lack of funds. It is also to be noted that playback equipment is also degrading, though more recent VCRs should remain functional and repairable for many years to come (the newest [and last] VCRs were manufactured in 2016). 

Environmental challenges can make preserving VHS tapes difficult, as fairly specific preservation conditions must be met to keep them in good shape. The tapes are susceptible to things such as "sticky-shed syndrome", demagnetization, edge damage, warped tape, pests, and a variety of contaminants (fingerprints, dust, smoke, skin, fungus, urban air, perfume, etc.). 

It can be difficult to find metatada for the tape, as information is often limited to what was written on the label (if anything at all) and the contents of the tape itself. For our digitization project, we were lucky to have labels which provided the name of the speaker, the topic of the meeting and the date of the recording (though Part 1 said '92 and Part 2 said '93, though both tapes were clearly from the same day). Monitoring the tape, we thankfully found an agenda for the meeting, and we were able to transcribe it as into .txt files. We took screenshots of the agenda and listened to the speakers several times over to get the wording right. 

A final challenge is a lack of information regarding the preservation of video files, and an overall lack of standardized practices for conversion, migration and playback. There is no standard for digitized VHS tape metadata, or guidelines for building their SIPs. 

References

Iraci, J. & Canadian Conservation Institute. (2017)  The Digitization of VHS Video Tapes – Technical Bulletin 31. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/conservation-preservation-publications/technical-bulletins/digitization-vhs-video-tapes.html

Lewis, C., & Hubbs, M. (2016). DIY VHS Preservation: Planning for Video Digitization at the American University Library. Computers in Libraries, 36(9), 28-32. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/docview/1843081427?rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo 

McMaster University. (n.d.b). Video - Preservation Action Plan. Retrieved from https://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/node/59

National Film Preservation Foundation. (2004). The Film Preservation Guide: the Basics for Archives, Libraries, and Museums. Retrieved from https://www.filmpreservation.org/preservation-basics/the-film-preservation-guide-download

Wheeler, J. & Brothers, P. (2002). The Videotape Preservation Fact Sheets. AMIA Preservation Committee. Retrieved from https://amianet.org/wp-content/uploads/Resources-Video-Preservation-Fact-Sheets-2002-1.pdf