Cylinder, Disc and Tape Care in a Nutshell
Handling -
Storage -
Cleaning -
Packaging, Containers -
Playback Equipment
Bibliography - Supply
Sources
|
HANDLING
|
| General |
Do not touch the playing surface/s of any recording.
Clean hands before handling recordings. |
| Discs |
Handle all grooved discs (78s, 45s, LPs, and acetate
discs) by their edge and label areas only. Handle compact discs
by outer edge and center hole only. |
|
Tape (Open Reels)
|
Handle by the outer edge of the reel flanges and center
hub areas only. Do not squeeze flanges together -- it will damage
tape edges. |
|
Tape (Cassettes,
Audio and Video)
|
Handle by outer shell, only. Do not place fingers
or any other materials into openings. |
|
Cylinders
|
Handle by inserting middle and index fingers in the
center hole, then gently spread them to just keep the cylinder from
slipping off. Do not touch the grooves of wax cylinders; they are
very susceptible to mold. Wax cylinders should be at room temperature
before touching; the thermal shock from the warmth of your hand
can cause cold wax cylinders to split. |
|
STORAGE |
| General |
Keep all discs and tape both open-reel and cassettes standing
upright, on edge. Store cylinders standing on their ends. Do not
lay any recording flat, not even audio or videocassettes. |
| Environment |
Keep all storage and use areas clean. |
Medium-term
Storage |
(materials to be preserved for a minimum of 10 years, ANSI IT9.13,
1996) Storage areas should be kept at a constant 65 to 70°
F and 45 to 50% Relative Humidity (RH). Widely fluctuating temperature
or RH severely shortens the life span of all recordings. Environmental
conditions shall not fluctuate more that ±10 F or ±10%
RH over a 24-hour period. Keep recordings away from light, especially
sunlight and unshielded fluorescent lights. |
| Long-term Storage |
(Materials having permanent value) Storage areas should be kept
at a constant 45 to 50° F or colder (do not store magnetic
tapes below 46° F as it may cause lubrication separation from
the tape binder) and 20 to 30% RH for magnetic tapes (open reel
and cassette) and 45 to 50% RH for all others. Widely fluctuating
temperature or RH severely shortens the life span of all recordings.
Environmental conditions shall not fluctuate more that ±5°
F or ±5% RH over a 24 hour period. Store in dark areas except
when being accessed, being sure to keep recordings away from UV
sources (unshielded fluorescent tubes and sunlight.) |
| Tape Demagnetization |
In general, demagnetization is not a problem in most situations.
For an added margin of safety to prevent demagnetization keep all
tape (open reels and cassettes) away from potential sources of demagnetization,
such as loudspeakers, most of which have sizable magnets in them.
Do not set tapes on top of or leaning against any equipment which
can be a source of either magnetic fields or heat. Be careful about
operating machines with electric motors (e.g., vacuum cleaners)
next to tape storage areas. |
| Shelving |
Recordings are surprisingly heavy. For example, LPs average between
35 and 45 pounds per shelf-foot; 78 rpm and acetate discs are even
heavier. Because of their shape and the design of their packaging,
recordings will concentrate their weight in the centerline of a
shelf, which can cause some shelving to collapse. Make sure that
the shelving you choose is solid and well constructed. |
| Discs |
Must be shelved vertically. Ideally, disc shelving should have
full-height and full-depth dividers, spaced 4 to 6 inches apart,
and secured at top and bottom. Less than full-height dividers may
contribute to warpage. Interfiling discs of different diameter may
also cause warpage. |
| Tapes (Open reel) |
Boxes should be stored vertically. Dividers are not essential,
but the boxes must be secured with a bookend and not allowed to
fall. |
Tapes (Cassettes,
Audio and Video) |
Cassettes in water repellent plastic containers should be stored
vertically "on edge," not flat. |
| Cylinders |
Stored standing "on end," like a drinking glass. |
| Winding tapes |
Contrary to what your local video-store may say, tapes, including
cassettes, should not be stored in the rewound or fast-forwarded
position. Ideally, play a tape completely through, then store it
without rewinding. Rewind it just before playing it again. |
| CLEANING |
| Cleaning Solution for Audio Records
CD's and DVD's |
A simple, environmentally-friendly solution
has been developed for cleaning acetate/lacquer, shellac, and vinyl
records as well as CD's and DVD's. This solution has been used very
satisfactorily at the Library of Congress. We have not compared
it for its effectiveness against commercial products and have no
intention to do so at present. While most of the lacquer records
respond readily to this cleaning solution, a few isolated examples
tend to retain a wax-like deposit that is resistant to this cleaning
solution. A supplemental solution for cleaning such records is under
development. |
| Disclaimer |
While the Preservation Directorate is
pleased to share this information, no guarantee is implied or intended
that it will meet the needs of all users. Institutions or individuals
who prepare or use the solution or solvents described here, must
do so at their own risk. The Library of Congress will not be liable
for any injury to any person or damage to any item resulting from
the use of any of the materials, chemicals, solvents or procedures
described here. |
| Precautions
|
We strongly advise against
the preparation of the cleaning solution or its use, as well as
the use of solvents by persons who are not trained in the safe handling
of chemicals. Even well-trained persons should not prepare this
solution at facilities that are not equipped with a working fume-hood
that provides an acceptable air flow. Safety glasses must be worn
during the preparation and use of the cleaning solution or the recommended
solvents. Material safety data sheets (MSDS) for all ingredients
and solvents must be made available to all persons involved in any
of the procedures presented here. These documents can be obtained
from the providers of the individual chemicals. |
|
Solution
Preparation
|
Water used to prepare this solution and to wash cleaned items
must be of the highest quality. Ideally, distilled water or at
least water purified by a reverse osmosis system and/or by filtration
through deionizing cartridges should be used.
The ingredients used in the formula for the cleaning solution
are clearly identified below. MSDS's need to be consulted, and
implications for the health of the users need to be clearly analyzed
and understood before the preparation and use of this solution.
Preparation of the cleaning solution
To prepare 1 gallon (4 liters) of solution, half-fill a gallon
bottle with water and add:
- Triton™ XL-80N surfactant, 20 ml (0.5 percent). This
is the active cleaning agent in the formula. It is available
from Union Carbide Corporation, which is now a part of Dow Chemicals.
Its main advantage is that it is designed to rinse out more
easily than most other surfactants.
- Ammonia liquor (analytical reagent grade), 20 ml (0.5 percent).
We analyzed the white deposits commonly found on acetate discs
and determined that they consist of fatty acids which are formed
as a result of degradation of the plasticizers that were introduced
in their manufacture. This ingredient needs to be included only
for the cleaning of acetate records. It will not hurt other
records, but it may not necessarily clean them better.
- Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, 0.5 ml (0.13 percent).
One source of this chemical is Chemetall Oakite of Berkeley
Heights, NJ, who sells it as "Oakite Sanitizer 1."
This ingredient is added to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms
during storage. It is also useful for disinfecting records which
might have mold on them, but it does not influence the cleaning
action.
- Enough water to make the solution up to a full gallon.
- Cap the bottle tightly and invert it a few times to mix the
solution thoroughly.
Note: It may be safer and more convenient to prepare a stock
solution containing 10 times the concentrations of all ingredients,
from which the solution for actual use can be readily prepared
by a 10 time dilution.
|
| Directions for Use |
This cleaning solution can be used to clean records
manually or in mechanized record cleaners. In either case, the cleaning
step needs to be followed by a rinsing step in which residual cleaner
is removed by washing with water. The disc is finally wiped dry
using a soft, nonabrasive, lint-free cloth. This last drying step
may not be necessary if a record-cleaning machine with a vacuum
arm is being used. |
| Disposal of waste and chemicals |
This solution is dilute enough, and the chemicals
used innocuous enough so that the waste solution after cleaning
of records can probably be disposed of down the drain. However,
we would strongly recommend confirming this disposal practice with
the local water authority, especially if significant amounts of
the cleaning solution are routinely discharged into the waste stream.
Direct disposal of any of the undiluted stock chemicals used in
the preparation of this solution must always be undertaken only
through an appropriately certified company or organization. |
|
PACKAGING, CONTAINERS |
| Discs |
Most record sleeves should be replaced with a high
density polyethylene such as DiscWasher V.R.P., Mobile Fidelity
Original Master Sleeve, or Nagaoka No. 102 Anti-Static Record Sleeve.
If an original paper sleeve contains text or graphics, the Nagaoka
sleeves are thin enough to fit inside the paper sleeve.
Some plastic or plastic-lined sleeves should not be used. As
a rule of thumb, "bad" sleeves are clear and have a sticky or
tacky feel whereas "good" sleeves are frosted in appearance and
have a slippery feel.
|
| Tape (Open reels) |
Replace any reel which has a slotted hub. Only reels
with unslotted hubs are acceptable for storage. Reels with slotted
hubs may be used as take-up reels. |
| PLAYBACK
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE |
| Clean equipment (tape heads, guides, etc.) often and thoroughly
with isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs. Demagnetize tape decks
periodically; if you are unsure about doing this leave it to a professional.
Clean the phonograph stylus before playing each disc side using
a densely packed bristle brush such as DiscWasher's SC-2 or LAST's
stylus cleaning brush. Learn how to balance and set the tracking
and anti-skating on your tone arm. Check the settings at least once
a month or anytime you hear mistracking. |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY
|
| GENERAL WORKS
- Child, Margaret S. Directory of information sources on
scientific research related
- to the preservation of sound recordings, still and moving
images, and magnetic tape. Washington, D.C.: Commission
on Preservation and Access; c1993. 14 p.
- Gibson, Gerald D. "Preservation and conservation of sound
recordings." In: Henderson,
- Kathryn Luther; Henderson, William T. Conserving and
preserving materials in non-book formats. Allerton Park
Institute Conference; 1988 November 6-9; Urbana. Urbana-Champaign,
Illinois: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Graduate
School of Library and Information Science; 1991. 27-44.
- Media Stability Studies : Resources for archivists, records
managers, and individuals responsible
- for storing information at www.nml.org/MediaStability
- Pickett, A. G.; Lemcoe, M. M. Preservation and storage
of sound recordings : A Study
- supported by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.
Washington, D.C: Library of Congress; 1959. vii, 74 p.
Note: Bibliography; photographs; illustrations;
diagrams. Reprint available from Association for Recorded Sound
Collections; attn Elwood McKee; 118 Monroe St., Apt. 610; Rockville,
MD 20850-2511. The basic document on the preservation and storage
of all audio recordings before CDs reports on a study of preservation
and storage of the more common sound recordings of the period.
Conclusions include information and-or recommendations on storage
environment, control of mold and fungus, furniture, and packaging.
- Schiller, Dietrich. "Handling, storage, and preservation of
sound recordings under tropical and
- sub-tropic climatic conditions." IN: Fontes Artis Musicae;
1986; (33): 100-104.
- Varcla, Allan. "Art of audio archiving in the '90s." Pro
Sound News. 1994 Mar 15;
- Note: Presents the complications in archiving
that have taken place with the advent of digital audio recording
technology, most notably incompatibility of systems and/or media.
Presents comments on analog tapes from John Matarazzo, manager
of technical services for Sony, concerning binder breakdown,
crystallizing or oxidizing of lubricants, and treatment resulting
in temporary stability in order to make working copies; continues
with uncertainty of how well digital tapes store and critical
nature of temperature and humidity in storage, with information
on metal evaporated tape, with some of advantages of optical
recording technology, that Open Media Framework (OMF) is addressing
problem of incompatibility and back up systems. "The requirements
of OMF are that we continually keep it backwardly compatible
so, as we extend the capabilities in the file format and the
specification, we will continue to support the things that were
in there originally. That means that you can never have an OMF
file that you can't go back to and open and process with the
capabilities that you have at that time."
- DISC RECORDINGS
- American National Standards Institute. Optical disc media
: Storage. New York LANSI,
- 1997 (ANSI/NAPM IT9.25-1997).
- Berger, Myron. "Record Cleaners and the Real World." High
Fidelity 3 (7): 43-46 (July 1980)
- Bouley, Raymond J. "The Life and death of CD-ROM." CD-ROM
Librarian. 1992 Jan : 146-151.
- "Compact disc problems." Conservation Administration
News. 1989; (36): 20.
- Note: Information on problems with compact
disc in relation to deterioration caused by label ink, oxidation
of aluminum, and storage conditions.
- Day, Rebecca. "Where's the rot? A Special report on CD longevity."
Stereo Review. 1989 Apr; 54(4): 23-24.
- Fantel, Hans. "Pampered record can live to be 100." New
York Times. ; 1976 Oct 10; D: 26-28.
- Note: Reports on tests of LP record wear,
and on cleaning devices and agents, measuring the increase of
noise and distortion in successive plays of discs cleaned each
time before playing. Concludes that such a disc almost as good
after 200 plays as when new, but that a dirty, neglected disk
may be badly damaged in less than twenty plays.
- Fantel, Hans. "Keeping it clean : Solutions for record care."
Opera news. 1977 Apr 2; 41: 38-39.
- Note: Includes information on Zerostat, Staticmaster, Discwasher, Radio Shack's
Hydro-Stor, Audio-Technica's AT610, Watts' Disc-Preener and Manual Parastat,
Audio Technica AT6002, Vac-O-Rec, and Fidelipac's Spin & Clean Record
Washer.
- Foster, Edward J. "A Selected--and Selective--Bestiary of
Disc-Care Accessories." High Fidelity 28
- (2): 43-48 (February 1978)
- Hyperion Bronzed CDs : A Note about corroding CDs manufactured
by Philips and DuPont Optical
- at www.hyperion-record.co.uk
- Lumley, Enid. "Record Cleaning Machines." IAR Hotline
23: 7-17 (July 1982)
- Lumley, Enid. "Record Cleaning Fluids." IAR Hotline 23:
1-7 (July l982)
- Maier, Bruce. "In Search of the Perfect Record Cleaner." High
Fidelity 22 (9) 52-55 (September 1972)
- Mastricola, Scott. "Record Wear." Stereo Review 36
(6): 56-60 (July 1976)
- Pisha, B. V. "Record Cleaners Revisited." Audio 54
(5): 40-49 (May 1970)
- Ranada, David. "How to Handle Records." Stereo Review
47 (9): 62-63 (September 1982)
- Saffady, William. "Stability, care, and handling of microforms,
magnetic media, and optical
- disks." Library Technology Reports. 1991 Feb; 27(1):
5-116.
- Note: Bibliographic references. Reports
on survey of currently available information about the stability,
care, and handling of non-book media, including microforms,
magnetic media, and optical disks. Organized according to media
type, each including an introduction to the media and to its
physical and application characteristics; description of recording
technologies and technical processes; scientific information
about stability; discussion of environmental and other factors
which can affect the chemical behavior and physical properties
of the media; and guidelines for care, handling and storage.
- Woodcock, Roberick; Wielage, Marc. "Laser rot." Video.
1987 Apr : 49-52.
- Note: Includes description of deterioration
of signal on video discs and possible causes; gives partial
list of some titles where problem has been found.
- TAPE RECORDINGS
- Ampex Corp. Guide to the care and handling of magnetic
tape. Redwood City, CA:
- Ampex Recording Media Corp.
- Note: Modified reprint included in VanBogart,
John W. C.: Magnetic tape storage and handling : A Guide
for libraries and archives (Washington, D.C., St. Paul,
MN; Commission on Preservation and Access, National Media Lab,
1995)
- Ampex Corp; Ostertag, John. Product Information : 467
R-DAT Digital Audio Tape :
- Competitive Performance Review [press release].
Redwood City, CA: Ampex Recording Media Corp.; [1994]. 3 p.
- Note: Reviews the performance characteristics
of the cited Ampex product; in doing so, includes the strongest
statement yet from a manufacturer concerning use of R-DAT as
an archival medium: "Ampex's position about archiving valuable
source programming to R-DAT is simple. We do not recommend it."
They, then, give three reasons why it is not advocated: retrievability
of damaged analog vs. total loss of digital data; future access
to recorders and lack of experience with media and systems;
and doubtful interchangability of tape and machines.
- Audio Engineering Society. AES Recommended practice for
audio preservation and restoration:
- Storage of polyester-based magnetic tape. New York;
AES. 1997 (AES22-1997)
- DeLancie, Philip. "Sticky-shed syndrome: Tips on saving your
damaged tape."
- In: Mix Magazine; 1990 May: 148-152.
- Note: Describes the problems, the likely
causes, and a proposed solution to the sticky-shed problem with
magnetic tape.
- Fox, Barry. "Master tapes come to sticky end." In: New
Scientist; 1992 September 22; 127(1735): 15.
- Note: Reports problem of deteriorating
sound recording tape, result of which is that the tapes are
very difficult to run and may, in serious cases, jam in the
recorder. The cause is thought to be the deterioration of the
polyurethane binder used to hold the magnetic material onto
the tape base, probably caused by hydrolysis of the polyurethane
brought about by atmospheric moisture adsorbed onto the tape
surface. A method for temporarily reducing the problem so that
copy recordings can be made is described.
- VanBogart, John W. C. Magnetic tape storage and handling
: A Guide for libraries and archives.
- Washington, D.C., St. Paul, MN: Commission on Preservation
and Access, National Media Lab; 1995. [4], ii, 34 p; ISBN: 1-887334-40-8.
- Note: Available from Commission on Preservation
and Access; 1400 16th St., NW, Suite. 740; Washington, D.C.
20036-2217. Illustrated; bibliography; glossary. Includes reprint
of Ampex 'Guide to the care and handling of magnetic tape';
estimation of magnetic tape life expectancies; and a resources
list for transfer and restoration of video and audio tape. Focuses
on how to properly store and care for magnetic media to maximize
their life expectancies. Includes technical explanations for
the rationale behind recommended procedures, written specifically
for those who do not have a significant background in recording
technology. Topics covered include what can go wrong with magnetic
media, preventing information loss, life expectancy (how long
will magnetic media last), prevention of premature degradation
(care, handling, storage, staging, refreshing of media), and
a reprint of the Ampex 'Guide to the care and handling of magnetic
tapes.'
|
| Supply
Sources |
Bill Cole
Enterprises
P.O. Box 60 Dept. RLC2
Randolph, MA 02368-0060
Tel: (781) 986-2653
Fax: (781) 986-2656
E-mail: bcemylar@internetmci.com |
DiscWasher,
Inc.
A Div. of Recoton
46-23 Crane Street
Long Island City, NY 11101
Tel: (800) 223-6009
Fax: (718) 784-1080 |
Gaylord Brothers
PO Box 4901
Syracuse, NY 13221-4901
Tel: (800) 634-6307
Fax: (800) 272-3412 |
LAST
The LAST Factory
2015 Research Drive
Livermore, CA 94550
Tel: (925) 449-9449
Fax: (925) 447-0662 |
Merit Champion
Attn: Artie Chaplin
40-46 28th Street
Long Island City, NY 11101
(212) 301- 0105
Fax: (212) 320-4354 |
Nitty Gritty
Record Care Products
4650 Arrow Highway, F-4
Montclair, CA 91763
(909) 625-5525
Fax: (909) 625-5526
E-mail: www.nittygrittyinc.com |
University
Products
P.O. Box 101
517 Main Street
Holyoke, MA 01041-0101
(800) 628-1912
Fax: (413) 532-9281
E-mail:
jadunphy@universityproducts.com |
V.P.I. Industries
Inc.
77 Cliffwood Ave. No. 3B
Cliffwood, NJ 07721
(732) 946-8606
Fax: (732) 946-8578 |
The preservation procedures described here have been used by
the Library of Congress in the care of its collections and
are considered suitable by the Library as described;
however, the Library will not be responsible for damage to
your collection should damage result from the use of these
procedures.
Revised 7/02
|
