Collections at risk
To support small to medium collecting organisations and individuals to care for collection items, ACMI has developed a series of free preservation guides about motion picture film, magnetic tape, optical disc, floppy disk and digital materials.
Some collection items are at risk due to material deterioration and dependence on outdated hardware and software that is increasingly difficult to maintain.
Our preservation guides outline the first steps in caring for motion picture film, magnetic tape, optical disc, floppy disk and digital materials – by providing practical advice on how to identify and save at-risk collection items from deterioration, as well as how to dispose of already degraded, hazardous items.
Five guides are available for free download:
Motion picture film
This guide aims to assist small to medium collecting organisations and individuals to care for motion picture film materials in their collections, specifically common formats 8mm, 16mm and 35mm.
Magnetic tape
This guide aims to assist small to medium collecting organisations and individuals to care for magnetic video tapes in their collections, specifically VHS, Betacam and U-matic video cassettes.
Optical disc
This guide aims to assist small to medium collecting organisations and individuals to care for optical discs in their collections, specifically CDs (compact discs) and DVDs (digital versatile discs) as the most common type of disc found in collections.
Floppy disc
This guide aims to assist small to medium collecting organisations and individuals to care for floppy disks in their collections, specifically the common 3 ½ inch and 5 ¼ inch formats.
Digital
This guide aims to assist small to medium collecting organisations and individuals to care for digital media in their collections, specifically digital video works, interactive programs and web-based content.
The Collections at Risk series is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.
