Contents:
- Introduction
- I. Textual Works and Musical Compositions
- II. Still Image Works
- III. Audio Works i. Audio – On Tangible Media (digital and analog)
- Audio – Media Independent (digital) IV. Moving Image Works i. Motion Pictures- Digital and Physical Media
- ii Video – File-based and Physical Media V. Software and Electronic Gaming and Learning
- VI. Datasets/Databases
The Library of Congress created this list to satisfy its need “to be able to identify the formats suitable for large-scale acquisition and preservation for long-term access”. In this specification the Library has “decided to develop a set of specifications of formats which it recommends, both internally to its own professionals and externally to creators, vendors and archivists, as the preferred ones to use to ensure preservation and long-term access of the creative output of the nation and the world.”Section III covers Audio works and Section IV Moving Image works. Both sections have ‘preferred’ and ‘acceptable’ categories and includes recommendations on accompanying descriptive metadata and technological measures that should be considered (primarily avoiding encryption etc). The Library plans to revisit the specifications on an annual basis so that they do not fall “out of sync with developments in the creative world.” This issue of the Library’s digital preservation blog The Signal provides additional information on how the list was determined.
This list recommends element types as well as physical media format specifications. Its recommendations clearly reflects the Library’s role as archive for the copyright deposit office; for example, it emphasizes the acquisition of final version vs production materials. Some examples include: ‘final production version vs pre-production version’; or ’theatrical release in original gauge’, ‘each language and mix for the final production version shall be in its original channel structure and audio resolution as it was delivered to the content distributor’. Physical media recommendations are a bit more specific, for example under Video-Physical Media: “HD, HDCAM-SR, HDCAM”, etc.This specification document is particularly useful for acquisition staff.