Why Archiving Matters: Understanding the Full Lifecycle of Media Preservation
At a recent workshop at the Pavek Museum—surrounded by decades of recording and broadcasting history—we had the opportunity to connect with fellow archivists, media makers, and memory keepers. The topic: AV Preservation Basics . But as we shared in that session, what’s “basic” about preservation isn’t always simple. Ron McCoy and Mark Stanley, MNMA Media archiving today goes beyond saving old tapes—it’s about protecting cultural memory in a time of rapid technological change. And it’s not just about digitization. At Minnesota Media Arts, we define archiving as more than a single step. Archiving is not just media digitization, but the planning and organization that precede it, and the distribution or sharing that follow it. This broader perspective is what sets our approach apart—and why we’re sharing a closer look at the media preservation lifecycle. The Challenge: A Race Against Time Much of the world’s media heritage—on formats like VHS, Betamax, EIAJ ½-inch open reel video, ¾...
