Attachment J3 - SOW_RS_Audio_Digitization_final (6 Pages).pdf

Statement of Work

Project title: Audio digitization for obsolete formats

1. OVERVIEW / BACKGROUND

The Library of Congress (LOC) National Audio-Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC) requires contract support for the preservation of historic World War II sound recordings stored on large-spool magnetic wire, an obsolete audio format. The objective of this contract is to secure high-quality digital transfers of these analog sound recordings. Specifically, the recordings are housed on magnetic steel wires measuring 0.004 mm diameter, wound on spools approximately 3.75 inches in diameter and 1.25 inches thick. NAVCC’s Audio Preservation Lab does not currently possess the specialized equipment necessary to preserve this endangered format.

Large-spool magnetic wire digitization refers to the process of converting historic sound recordings stored on oversized spools of thin steel wire into digital audio files. This preserves the original content, protects it from further deterioration, and ensure long-term access through modern playback systems.

This contract will support the completion of a project to digitize all large-spool magnetic wires held at NAVCC. Between 2023 and 2025, a previous contract successfully digitized the majority of NAVCC’s large-spool magnetic wires; however, 149 large-spool magnetic wires remain not yet digitized.

2. SCOPE

The NAVCC staff has identified 149 magnetic wire recordings that require digitization. The attached spreadsheet lists each recording by a wire rack number and collection name. The contractor shall digitize all identified magnetic wires and produce audio files for ingest into the NAVCC digital archive. In addition, the contractor shall deliver files and metadata that meet Library’s preservation specifications.

The contractor shall provide technical expertise and digitization services using professional-quality equipment, implement safe handling protocols, develop and maintain an effective Collection Security Plan, perform digitization to capture the full magnetic wire recordings, document all digitization data, deliver 149 magnetic wires with the corresponding checksum files, provide customer support, and return all inventory to the delivery point in Culpeper, Virgina, with quality control reviews conducted by the Library to ensure the contractor’s compliance with all contract requirements.

3. REQUIREMENTS

The contractor shall digitize all identified large-spool magnetic wires to produce audio files for the NAVCC digital archive.

1. Technical Digitization Requirements:

1. Playback Equipment:

1. The contractor shall provide and maintain professional-grade magnetic wire playback equipment capable of handling large-spool magnetic wire recordings (3.75” diameter, 1.25” thickness).

2. Equipment shall be regularly inspected and calibrated to ensure accurate playback speed and audio fidelity.

2. Audio Capture Quality:

1. Require uncompressed formats (e.g., 96kHz / 24-bit BWF) as preservation masters.

2. Preservation master files shall be captured at a minimum of 96kHz / 24-bit in Broadcast Wave Format (BWF).

3. Signal Chain:

1. Contractor shall provide high-quality A/D converters and professional-grade equipment.

2. Contractor shall use a clean, professional signal chain from playback device to analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

3. ADC shall meet or exceed industry standards, producing uncompressed, preservation-quality audio.

4. Condition Handling:

1. Contractor shall have procedures to safely handle fragile or tangled wires.

2. Contractor shall implement safe-handling protocols for magnetic wire, including procedures for addressing tangling, knots, or breakage.

2. Collection Security Plan:

1. The contractor shall develop and maintain an effective Collection Security Plan to ensure that the 149 large-spool magnetic wires are safeguarded at all times in a secure, clean, and climate-controlled environment.

2. The contractor shall handle all items with special care to prevent loss, damage, or deterioration, in full accordance with IASA-TC 05 standards (https://www.iasa-web.org/tc05/handling-storage-audio-video-carriers).

3. The Collection Security Plan shall be submitted within 15 calendar days of contract award and prior to shipment of the wires from NAVCC.

4. The contractor shall email the Collection Security Plan to the designated COR and/or the Library representative for review and acceptance.

5. The Collection Security Plan shall include a description of the facility where the collections items will be housed, including a description of its climate control system, along with a description of the procedures and equipment that will be used to protect the items while in the contractor’s custody.

https://www.iasa-web.org/tc05/handling-storage-audio-video-carriers https://www.iasa-web.org/tc05/handling-storage-audio-video-carriers

3. Digitization shall capture the complete magnetic wire recordings in accordance with the following specifications:

1. Preservation Master File and Wire Transfer Requirements

1. File Type: Broadcast Wave Format (BWF)

2. Sample Rate and Bit Depth: 96 kHz / 24-bit

3. Equalization: None (Flat Response)

4. Files shall reflect the original media source; for example, a single-track recording shall be delivered as a single mono digital file.

5. Preservation master files and wire transfers from 74 magnetic wires shall be delivered by July 6, 2026.

6. Preservation master files and wire transfers from 75 magnetic wires shall be delivered within period of performance (POP) date.

4. Metadata and Documentation:

1. Descriptive Metadata: The Contractor shall match files to rack numbers, collection names, and other identifiers provided in spreadsheet.

2. Technical Metadata. The contractor shall include digitization data, equipment uses, settings, and operator notes.

3. Preservation Metadata: The contractor shall document wire condition and any interventions (e.g. repairs).

5. File Requirements:

1. All files shall have a checksum hash generated and delivered by the contractor in either SHA-1 or MD5 format.

2. The checksum should be named after the file it represents; for example, FileName.wav.md5.

3. All checksums must verify prior to approval of the shipment.

4. A set of administrative and technical metadata shall be embedded into the headers of all delivered Broadcast Wave Format (BWF) files.

5. The complete signal chain, processing notes, equipment list, including DAW and playback speed, shall be included with deliverables in either .XLS or .PDF format.

6. The contractor shall deliver a set folder for each magnetic wire, containing the relevant digital files.

7. Specifications regarding digital capture, preservation file production, naming conventions, and folder organization are provided in the Attachment J1 – “Vendor Specs for Files and Transfers, Version 1.”

8. For all magnetic wires digitized, the contractor shall capture the audio in accordance with standards outlined in the Attachment J1 - “Vendor Specs for Files and Transfers, Version 1”.

6. Magnetic Wire and Checksums Files:

1. The contractor shall deliver 74 magnetic wires before July 6, 2026, to include their preservation and 74 checksum files, along with administrative and technical metadata.

2. The contractor shall deliver the remaining 75 magnetic wires before the end of the period of performance (POP), to include their preservation and 75 checksum files, along with administrative and technical metadata.

3. The magnetic wires shall not be analyzed using destructive sampling or any invasive techniques.

4. If the contractor identifies any magnetic wire which it believes is not in suitable condition or too fragile for digitization, it shall inform the COR in writing and refrain from digitizing said magnetic wire.

5. Any change in condition or damage to a magnetic wire must be immediately reported to the COR via email when such a change occurs.

7. Customer Support:

1. The contractor shall provide customer support to address any and all technical issues, file errors, corrects and etc.

2. Communication shall be available by both email and telephone during normal business hours.

3. Support requests shall be acknowledged within (24-Hours) and resolved within a reasonable period depending on issue severity.

8. Shipping & Packaging:

1. The contractor shall deliver any and all inventory to the delivery point:

Jerry Fabris National Audio-Visual Conservation Center 19053 Mount Pony Road Culpeper, VA 22701-7551

2. The contractor shall diligently count and examine all goods tendered for shipment and receipt for them.

3. Shipping shall be paid for by the Library’s designated FedEx Account.

4. The contractor shall not use the Library’s FedEx account for any shipments unrelated to this contract.

5. If required, the Library will determine the level of FedEx insurance coverage.

6. In preparation for return shipment of the wires, the contractor shall pack the items using the same physical arrangement and packaging materials as they were received from NAVCC.

7. When ready to return ship the magnetic wires, the contractor shall coordinate shipping arrangements with the COR.

4. CONTRACT PERFORMANCE

1. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS/DELIVERABLES

Paragraph Ref. Description of Event/Deliverable Due Date

2.0 Collection Security Plan. Due within 15 calendar

days after contract award.

3.5 Preservation master files transferred from 74

magnetic wires.

Due by July 6, 2026.

3.6 Preservation master files transferred from 75

magnetic wires.

Due within POP.

6.1 Checksum files, plus descriptive, technical, and preservation metadata relating to 74 digitized magnetic wires.

Due by July 6, 2026.

6.2 Checksum files, plus descriptive, technical, and preservation metadata relating to 75 digitized magnetic wires.

Due within POP.

7.0 Customer Support (Email and Telephone) Continuous throughout contract performance.

4.1 Library’s Quality Control Review Due within 3 to 4 Weeks

After Government Starts Quality Review.

5.2 74 Magnetic Wires sent to contractor as Government Furnished Property (GFP).

Sent by Government to contractor within 15 calendar days following COR’s acceptance of the Collection Security Plan.

5.2 75 additional Magnetic Wires sent to contractor as Government Furnished Property

(GFP).

Sent by Government to contractor within 15 calendar days following the return receipt of the first 74 Magnetic Wires.

QUALITY CONTROL. The contractor shall develop and maintain an effective Quality Control Program (QCP) to ensure services are performed in accordance with this contract. The contractor shall implement procedures to identify, prevent, and correct any defective services to ensure that such defects do not reoccur. The Quality Control Program serves as the contractor’s mechanism to assure compliance with all contract requirements. The NAVCC will conduct a quality control review of the files, which may take 3 to 4 weeks

5. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:

1. All work shall be performed at the contractor’s worksite.

2. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY (GFP):

1. During the contract Period of Performance (POP), NAVCC will loan 149 irreplaceable, historically significant large-spool magnetic wires to the contractor.

2. Attachment J2 - Digitization Wire Inventory identifies each magnetic wire’s rack number and collection name.

3. Government to produce the first set of 74 magnetic wires to contractor within 15 days after COR acceptance of the Collection Security Plan.

4. Government to produce the second set of 75 additional magnetic wires to contractor within 15 days after return receipt of first set of 74 magnetic wires to

NAVCC.

5. Within 15 days following July 6, 2026, the contractor will return the first set of 74 magnetic wires to NAVCC.

6. Within the POP, the contractor will return the second set of 75 magnetic wires to NAVCC. The Invoice will not be paid until NAVCC has received all the magnetic wire returned.

3. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL

1. The contractor’s contract administrator shall carry out the work directly and shall not assign any portion of it to assistants or other personnel or technicians.

(End of Performance Work Statement / Statement of Work)