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4.4 Curriculum

The Working Party recommend the following topics are included in any curriculum for the education of av archivists at various levels.

4.4.1 Table 1.

4.4.2 As it is not feasible to offer a tailor made syllabus for all education establishments, archive and library schools or in-service training, the recommended standards have been designed to serve as outline proposals.

In this context any verbal presentation has the disadvantage of becoming too detailed, while remaining incomplete in the description of individual sections and disregarding relevant secondary aspects.

For this reason the content of the recommended curriculum is presented as a combination of text and graphs to facilitate independent orientation.

Paraphrasing of individual subject units (modules) and their descriptive and quantitative breakdown in description is intended to allow for alternatives and variations. It is hoped that the responsible training institutions, tutors and students, take note of the balance between individual modules being used to guarantee the objectives and central issues suggested. The text and graphs are designed as aides memoire 'in preparation for sessions and as proposals for further reading. It is left to the user of the curriculum outline to add missing concepts or establish relevant correlations. As a rule graphs are read in a clockwise direction; branching off from the core subject in the centre of the graph to more detailed topics. This is however not obligatory, as it is also possible to start with any term of the graph and make further deductions within the framework of a relevant systematic approach. The individual graphs are designed to enable the user to approach a given subject area and its related subject area and terminology.

When presenting a lesson or during private study it may become necessary to go beyond a specific term contained in a field and consult the terms arranged at the margin of a graph tie. chemistry, physics, electronics etc.). Individual concept fields and also the entity of these fields are not necessarily complete, but are rather complementary to one another and require interpretation. Both tutors and students should be able to recognise descriptors within a given field and come up with priorities, sequences, associations and connections within neighbouring fields. The report attempts to represent these principles by known working procedures, methodological and integrative aspects of archive practice.

4.4.3 In any training programme the following subject areas should be covered under individual topics. The complete list of subject areas is moans for Level 1 students, selected subjects should serve Level 2 and 3 students to suit individual needs.

Table at 4.4.1 refers.

4.4.1.1 Introduction

Level 1 - 20 hours
Level 2 - 10 hours

It has been recommended to deal with the following subject areas

- the role of audiovisual media in the past, present and future

- cultural, historic and economic reasons for the archiving of audiovisual recordings

- specific audiovisual archive records as works of art, contemporary documents and historical sources

- principal functions of audiovisual archives; acquisition, preservation, cataloguing, accessibility of material

- individual aspects of av archives in their capacity as production and historical archives

- relationship and differences between audiovisual recordings and other forma of tradition

- basic principles of librarianship, archive science, application and modified application to av archives

- the national and international situation concerning the audiovisual heritage

See Figure 1 AV Archives

4.4.1.2.1a History of the media

Level 1 30 hours
Level 2 30 hours
Level 3 15 hours
for demonstrations/showings
Level 1 120h
Level 2 120h
Level 3 60 h

The lectures should be designed to cover in 10 hour units the history of film, television and sound recordings

Subject areas to be covered:

- technical development of the media
- development of production conditions
- expansion and sociological function of the media in different periods of time
- the most important stages of media development on a national level

While the lectures should be designed to promote a student's understanding of the most important trends in the development of the media, extensive factual knowledge should be acquired through self-study and demonstration.

Demonstrations.

It has been recommended that the time available be used equally for the presentation of films, videos and sound recordings

Demonstrations should be accompanied by introductory discussions and practical exercises, in support of the lectures.

The demonstrations should bring out the technical and artistic potential and content which are typical for the development of the media:

Film: silent, sound; black/white; colour, other colouring techniques

Film categories: newsreels, science firms, documentaries, popular science, advertisement, spots, feature film. Film genres.

Sound recordings:

formats: cylinders, tape, disc, CD and CD-ROM, DAT
categories: music, spoken word, oral history, dialect, sound effects, wildlife and environmental sounds

Video recordings: black/white, colour, different formats; live recordings, graphics

4.4.1.2.1b History of av archives

Approximately equal time should be devoted to the coverage of the history of sound, film and video archives. The following subject areas should be included:

- national history of audiovisual archives

- important trends of the international development of audiovisual archives

- the development of audiovisual archives and the emergence of their vital importance

- the development of audiovisual archives and related issues concerning archive science and archive techniques

- activities of the NGOs in the field of av archives

See Figure 2.1. History of av media, and av archives

4.4.1.2.2 Terminology

The extensive treatment of issues relating to terminology presupposes practical skills and knowledge of av archives and/or the manufacturing of av recordings. The prerequisite for appreciation of issues of terminology by students, are field tripe to archives and manufacturing sites, and/or object teaching.

The topic should cover terminology of the av media and av archives. 75% of the. time available should be spent on the terminology of the media, the other 25% on the terminology of audiovisual archives.

Imparting knowledge of media terminology should, by recommendation follow closely the process of production

- preparatory work of audiovisual recordings (literary treatment, set and costume design)

- the process of av recording (individuals involved, techniques used, information carriers)

- technical operation of audiovisual recordings (printing, editing, mixing, multiple-copying, techniques used, individuals involved)

- playback of audiovisual recordings (film theatres, television, radio, home systems)

- related individual materials emerging in the process of preparation, manufacturing, handling, distribution and playback of audiovisual recordings

The terminology of audiovisual archives should also be presented in conjunction with archive science, librarianship and documentation science.

Special attention should be paid to:

- appraisal and selection
- acquisition
- cataloguing
- filmography, discography
- restoration and preservation
- access

See Figure 2.2 Terminology

4.4.1.3. Standards and techniques

see 10 including demonstrations

Dealing with the following subject areas:

- physical and chemical properties of various carriers of audiovisual recordings

- factors influencing the permanent preservation of audiovisual recordings (quality and handling of the carriers, storage conditions, environmental factors, use)

- definition of preservation materials

- optimal storage conditions for film, video and sound recordings (tapes and discs)

- depositories for the storage of audiovisual recordings (air conditioning, storage technique, fire protection)

- technical handling of audiovisual recordings prior to archival storage (inspection of technical condition, cleaning)

- reproduction of audiovisual recordings. Technical feasibilities, advantages and disadvantages (transfer to same carrier, transfer to different formats, transfer to a different carrier)

- technical feasibilities and ethical aspects of restoring audiovisual recordings, including electronic and digital methods

- preservation techniques

- technical equipment needed for the handling, restoration, reproduction and Use of audiovisual recordings

- principles concerning the description of the technical condition of material

- technical principles governing the use of audiovisual material

- transfer of audiovisual recordings to miniature formats for the purpose of archival storage. Feasibilities and restrictions

- new techniques and their effect on the development of media technology and audiovisual archives

- standards applied by a number of countries concerning storage, handling, reproduction, restoration and the use of audiovisual recordings.

See Figure 3 Standards and Techniques

4.4.1.4. organisation and structure

Knowledge imparted should include:

- principal functions of av archives

- administrative structure of av archives (autonomous or integrated institution, production archive and historical archive, special or general collection, multi media or single media stock)

- legal status (board, internal rules and regulations)

- relationship between size of collection and archive's function, equipment, number of staff, storage and working premises requirements

- internal techniques and working regulations (technical inspection, principles of reproduction and restoration, principles of cataloguing and description of contents, principles of use)

- organisation of the use of audiovisual archives, user services

- financing audiovisual archives

- cost of equipment, outfit and maintenance of av archives

- assignment of duties and cooperation with related institutions

- international cooperation of av archives

See Figure 4a Organisation and structure of av archives.

See Figure 4b Budget, finance capital costs

4.4.1.5. Access

The topic should include the following subject areas:

- legal issues of audiovisual archives

· International Copyright convention and audiovisual archives
· national legislation and audiovisual archives
· Unesco recommendation on the 'Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images'

- user categories of audiovisual archives
- how to use audiovisual archives
- priority of stock preservation and restricted use for technical and legal reasons
- the necessity of setting up contractual relations between archives and users
- fees for various services rendered by av archives
- the use of unpublished audiovisual materials and respect for privacy
- reproduction and access
- definition of basic principles of use of archives

See Figure 5a Access

See Figure 5b Legal aspects

4.4.1.6. Acquisition and appraisal

The topic should include:

- archive policy and acquisition

· national production and national archives
· specialised collections and accessions
· national and international assignment of duties and coordination

- sources of audiovisual recordings and methods of accession

· legal deposit, mandatory deposit
· voluntary deposit
· donations
· purchase

- principles of appraising audiovisual materials

· theory of appraisal applied by document archives

· theory of appraising audiovisual materials (priority of national production; proportion of national to foreign productions; safeguarding the technically best preserved and most complete materials; complexity of audiovisual recordings as works of art and contemporary documents

· reducing subjective decisions

- relationship between production archive and historical archive

- growth rates of audiovisual materials of national provenance and questions pertaining to selection (quantity and quality of production; definition of national criteria of appraising audiovisual materials)

- organisation of accessions (implementation of national legislation or other rules and regulations; procurement of audiovisual materials of a national interest from foreign sources)

- prevention of undesirable destruction and export of audiovisual materials

See Figure 6 Acquisition, appraisal and selection

4.4.1.7. Arrangement and Description

The topic should include:

- classification systems of collections and audiovisual materials

- Film: preprint, preservation, distribution materials, different formats, different storage conditions

- Sound recordings: different formats, published and unpublished, oral history, sound effects, edited/unedited

- video recordings: different formats, edited/unedited, stockshots, serials/series, newsreels, programme material

- description of audiovisual archive stock by recommended standards

- methods of classifying data for international and external archive functions

Internal: monitoring technical preservation conditions, issue record, ownership record, record of material received on loan

External: Feasible use and records for material of restricted use, accessions control

- record of national av productions

· recommendation for the acquisition of data for filmographies, discographies and others

· methods of collecting and publishing data

· essential national and international reference publication on the production of audiovisual materials

· the reliability of secondary sources

· efficient use of computers in audiovisual archives (data storage of national and international production, stock control, accounting, planning, ownership records)

- computer use and programmes for cataloguing of av materials

- effective application of computers

See Figure 7 Documentation. Arrangement and description

4.4.1.8 Public relations

Three different aspects of public relations should be singled out:

- user education
- publicity for the archive
- an archive's cultural activities

User education includes:

- contents of user education

· methods of accessing an audiovisual archive
· conditions of use
· awareness of an archive's technical, material and administrative issues
· restrictions of use

- methods of user education (lectures, guided tours, publications, exhibitions)

Publicity for the archive:

Since related governmental authorities together with producers of audiovisual material cannot be expected a priori to appreciate fully the role and tasks of an av archive, all senior staff should take part in drawing public attention to an archive's objectives, including:

- national and international publicity campaigns for the promotion of audiovisual archives

- effective forms of arousing public awareness

- methods of archive publicity (press conferences, press campaigns, showings of newly discovered and/or restored material, exhibitions, analyses of situation and issues of development of audiovisual archives; information of parliamentary committees and government offices; benefiting from international meetings of NGOs

Cultural activities of av archives

Implies measures of use and publication of archive's own stock. Experience and knowledge imparted should include:

- activities of archive film theatre in propagating film history and film culture
- activities of audiovisual archives in the promotion of societies for film, video and sound recordings
- lecture tours
- publications, exhibitions, seminars on historic and aesthetic subjects

4.4.1.9 Related materials

The topic should include:

- definition of related materials emerging from the process of production, handling, distribution and showing of audiovisual recordings

- information value, historic and cultural value of related materials

- principles of storage, preservation and restoration of paper, photographs and museum objects

- principles of description, cataloguing and classifying related material.

4.4.1.10 Technical expertise

Technical tasks of av archives require specialised knowledge in handling of film, video and sound material and the relevant equipment for reproduction, restoration, recording, storage, safeguarding and protection.

A university education in chemistry, physics, electronic, electrical, mechanical, video, sound or film engineering could be a solid basis for a specialised training in audiovisual archive techniques.

The specialised education should include:

- basic requirements for archive buildings
- principles of air conditioning of av material, function of an airconditioning plant
- storage conditions
- worker protection, work safety and fire protection in av archives
- chemical and physical properties of av materials
- equipment for handling, reproduction, recording, restoration and storage of av materials
- treatment against all kinds of chemical, physical and electronic defects and damage
- standards on storage, handling, reproduction, restoration
- development of av technology and its impact on archives
- history of film, video and sound technology.

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