Smithsonian_RFI_for_Digitization-18RF010039.pdf

Smithsonian Institution Audiovisual Mass Digitization for Preservation – Request for Information

1 06/29/2018

Smithsonian Institution Office of the Chief Information Officer/ Digitization Program Office

Request for Information #18RF010039

Project Background

The Smithsonian Institution’s (SI) Digitization Program Office (DPO), which is part of the Office of the Chief

Information Officer (OCIO), requests information related to methodology for high-quality, rapid and cost-efficient mass digitization for the preservation of audiovisual (AV) and film collections. The Smithsonian holds significant AV and film collections which have been recognized nationally and internationally for their cultural and research value. These collections include oral histories, interviews with scientists and cultural figures as well as footage documenting important moments in U.S. history. The importance of these collections in combination with the active degradation of their formats and obsolescence of equipment requires timely intervention. This

Request for Information (RFI) offers interested organizations the opportunity to provide information about capabilities including technologies, best practices, standards and workflows that have the potential to preserve these materials quickly, safely and cost-effectively, in order to make them accessible well into the future.

In 2018 the results of an inventory of 11 Smithsonian Institution (SI) archives’ holdings revealed over 293,000 AV and film objects, the lion’s share being in three formats (compact audio cassette, 1/4-inch audio tape and 16mm film). Those familiar with AV and film collections know that time is of the essence (industry estimates say five to ten years remain before catastrophic loss occurs for some formats) for SI to preserve and protect this massive quantity of important and at-risk collections.

Since 2013 the DPO’s Mass Digitization Program has worked with ten SI museums and archives (which we refer to as “units”) to develop and refine mass digitization workflows and technologies to mass digitize over two million (as of February 2018) cultural heritage, art and science collections objects in a wide range of dimensions, materials and shapes. The DPO’s processes to mass digitize museum objects have accelerated the pace of digitization dramatically, without compromising object handling or digital asset quality. As a result of our track record with mass digitization of collections, the DPO has been asked to build on this success, and develop a scalable and sustainable methodology for mass digitization of SI AV and film collections before it’s too late.

Project Scope

The Smithsonian has identified AV and film collections in over 60 formats totaling over 293,000 objects; the following formats are currently designated as priorities;

Priority Formats for Production Extent (# objects)

Estimated Quantity

1/4-inch audio tapes 60,000 90,000 hrs.

Compact audio cassettes 67,000 100,000 hrs.

3/4 inch videotape: U-matic | U-matic S | U-matic SP 13,000 6,500 hrs.

MiniDV 4,300 4,300 hrs.

DAT 6,500 6,500 hrs.

16mm film (while not an immediate priority, a large quantity of our holdings is in this format)

55,000 44,000,000 ft.

(avg. 800 ft. per reel);

approx. 20,000 hrs.

Smithsonian Institution Audiovisual Mass Digitization for Preservation – Request for Information

2 06/29/2018

Vendor Capabilities

SI is interested in locating qualified vendors who have the expertise and experience providing the following services for safely and efficiently digitally preserving AV and film collections on a massive scale:

Logistics to move and track objects safely and efficiently

Inspection and preparation of objects

Set-up and digital capture of content

Creation of technical and preservation metadata

Quality assurance, quality control and data integrity

Remediation, when appropriate

Digital file delivery

Object storage and security

The DPO is exploring multiple options for the location and staffing of this project:

Option 1: DPO sends AV and film objects to vendor location for digitization and processing.

Option 2: Vendor sets up mass digitization capture and processing station(s) at a Smithsonian location TBD in the Washington, DC metro area using vendor-supplied equipment and staff with a Smithsonian Project Manager coordinate work among participating SI units, vendor and digital repository.

(A possible third option could be a hybrid of Options 1 and 2)

Response

If you have such expertise, please provide written confirmation with examples detailing your experience in planning and executing mass digitization for the preservation of AV and film materials for each option listed above with special attention to efficient workflows and economies of scale. Please limit your response to no more than five pages.

NOTE: this is not a request for proposals (RFP), however, an RFP may be issued at a later date.

Please send your responses via e-mail attachment to: cattaneov@si.edu and include the following subject line:

DPO RFI AV Mass Digitization. The deadline for responses is July 31, 2018.