Statement of Work.docx

C. STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1. OVERVIEW / BACKGROUND.

The U.S. Congress created the National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB) through the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-474) and this legislation was reauthorized most recently in 2016 (PL114-217). Nearly a decade prior, Congress created the National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) through the National Film Preservation Act of 1988 (PL100-446). The NFPB was also reauthorized in 2016 (PL114-217). Under this public law reauthorization, the United States Congress has mandated that the Library of Congress:

1. Implement a comprehensive national recording preservation program;

2. Carry out the comprehensive national film preservation program for motion pictures established under the National Film Preservation Act and;

3. Review the comprehensive national film preservation plan, and amend it to the extent necessary.

The LOC will fulfill the above mandates by implementing selected recommendations found in the National Recorded Sound Preservation Plan and the National Film Preservation Plan. A contractor is needed to fulfill these mandates as the effort required far exceeds the capacity of Library staff.

The National Recording Preservation Plan contains 32 recommendations, 84 separate action items, to implement lengthy, time-consuming projects. The National Film Preservation Plan, published in 1994, remains feasible although it requires regular updating in response to technological and other changes. Studies published by the Library, such as the December 2013 Survival of American Silent Feature Films: 1912-29, added additional recommendations and action items.

C.2. SCOPE

The Contractor shall implement the National Recording Plan recommendations, as well as implement and update sections of the National Film Preservation Plan recommendations in order to satisfy U.S. Congress mandates under Public Law 114-217.

C.3. REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor shall manage and complete the following nine projects. All presentations, broadcasts, and productions developed under this requirement must be submitted to the COR for formal review and written approval at least seven (7) days before their public presentation or broadcast.

C.3.1. Production of National Recording Registry (NRR) Radio Programs:

The Contractor shall create at least four (4) radio programs to be nationally broadcast with the “Sounds of America” or similar radio series. These programs will highlight selections from the latest annual additions to the National Recording Registry (NRR).

3.1.1 Project Description

a. Each program in the series shall run at least 15 (fifteen) minutes in length.

b. The Contractor shall select the Series Producer and Series Production Team in consultation with the COR and the Library of Congress’ Office of Communications.

c. The Contractor shall provide feature interviews with prominent artists, scholars and other individuals discussing the importance of the National Recording Registry and continuing relevance to our cultural identity. The Series Producer will arrange these interviews with National Recording Registry artists/songwriters in coordination with the COR and the Library’s Office of Communications. No communications with the artists shall be initiated by the Series Producer without prior coordination and approval from the Library’s Office of Communications.

d. The Contractor shall submit an MP3 file of each program to be hosted on the LOC’s NRPB website or added to the LOC’s recorded sound collection.

e. The Contractor shall, at the request of the COR, provide brief excerpts from these broadcasts for use by the LOC as part of its annual announcement of selections to the NRR, and coordinate preparation of these radio programs with the Library’s own activities related to the Registry press announcement, including artist video interviews for the Library’s web site and press interviews with artists and others connected to that year’s Registry titles.

3.1.2. Project Deliverables

C.3.2. ARSC Continuing Education Webinar Series Program The Contractor shall work with the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) and the COR to create a Continuing Education webinar series of four (4) live programs. The ARSC Continuing Education Program Webinar Series invites all ARSC members and others interested in enhancing their knowledge and skills in audio preservation to register for the webinars. The ARSC obtains consent from the Guest Lecturer and Series Coordinators to record the web event session and informs all participants of the recording before it begins so that webinars can be made available to members unable to attend live.

3.2.1. Project Description

Webinar topics will be in support of the National Recording Preservation Plan's "Recommendation 1.5: Continuing Education in Audio Preservation." All webinars must be developed in accordance with the following specifications.

a. Each program shall have a total length of 60-120 minutes, inclusive of a question-and-answer session.

b. Each program must occur between August 1, 2022 and July 31, 2023.

c. Each program will be delivered via the Zoom webinar platform.

d. Each program will cover one of the following topics as determined by the ARSC and the Contractor:

i. Collection Management

ii. Audio Data Visualization

iii. Choosing and Implementing a Digital Asset Management System for a Collection

iv. Advancements in Digitization Methods and Technologies

v. Archival Appraisal

vi. Funding Solutions and Alternative

vii. Community Audio Archiving

viii. Data Production

The project will have Series Coordinators who have expertise in the relevant fields. The number of coordinators will be determined by ARSC and the Contractor based on need and expertise. The Series Coordinators’ responsibilities are as follows:

a. Webinar planning and production;

b. Topic determination (keeping in mind the above listed (C.3.2.d);

c. Inviting Guest Lecturers with expertise on the topic and arranging webinar dates and details with them;

d. Moderating the webinars, introducing the Guest Lecturer(s), providing technical or other assistance during the sessions, and facilitating the Q&A/discussion portion of the events.

The project will have a Series Promoter whose responsibilities are as follows:

a. Executing pre- and post-webinar promotional endeavors and related duties of digital stewardship of recorded sessions via ARSC’s Aviary platform and YouTube, mass email listserv contact via coordination with the ARSC Outreach Committee, maintenance, coordination, and analysis of attendee email address lists, and managing webinar series email account.

b. Editing the program recordings to include closed captioning.

c. Makes the recording accessible to all ARSC members and registered attendees via the Association’s Aviary site and to the general public via the Association’s YouTube channel (unless a webinar contains copyright or privacy concerns).

3.2.2. Project Deliverables

C.3.3. DAHR Website Enhancements The Contractor shall work with the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and the COR to make website enhancements to the Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR).

3.3.1. Project Description

DAHR was created before a significant amount of digitized audio was available on the website. Its interface was designed to allow for precise discover and searching of record company matrix information but it lacks tools for the discovery of digitized audio. Now that nearly 50,000 digitized recordings are available online, many aspects of the website need to be redesigned to emphasize the availability of audio content in order to enhance access and usability for scholars and the public.

The availability of digitized audio has tripled the number of users accessing the DAHR website in the past 3 years, now numbering over 25,000 users per month. These enhancements will bring increased visibility to digitized content available through DAHR and highlight the tremendous efforts to digitize collections undertaken by multiple institutions over the past ten years that expose content through DAHR. This project will help fulfill goal 3.1 of the National Recording Preservation Plan.

3.3.2. Project Deliverables

C.3.4. Cylinder Identification Videos The Contractor shall work with the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and the COR to create two (2) professional videos assisting in research and identification of cylinder recordings. This helps fulfill goals 1.5, 1.8, and 2.2 of the National Recording Preservation Plan.

3.4.1. Project Description

Commission and create two (2) professional videos to be distributed online for free focusing on identification of various cylinder types.

The first video would focus on identification of various cylinder types, from the various formats and varieties of 1890s brown wax, 2 and 4-minute wax cylinders of the first decade of the 1900s, and the various celluloid cylinders of the 19-teens (1910 – 1919). The video will include identification information, information on how to read catalog numbers, identify manufacturers, and determine takes and alternate versions, to aid archives and collectors in the identification and preservation of cylinders, especially those that may be unique.

The second video would focus on the preservation and transfer of brown wax cylinders. Brown wax cylinders (made prior to 1902) pose a unique set of challenges and often have been treated as afterthoughts, not the unique incunabula of the recording industry that they are. The video would include information on identification, cleaning, damage identification, handling, storage, and playback all of which would be explained in the video. The video would focus on the work done by collectors and archives in recent years to advance the preservation of the earliest and most fragile of recording formats.

3.4.2. Project Deliverables

C.3.5 Library Resource Guide on pre-1916 short films in LC Collection The Contractor shall work with report author Kim Tomadjoglou in consultation with the COR and other designated Library stakeholders to compile and create and digitally publish a Library of Congress Research Guide.

3.5.1. Project Description

Utilizing the Library of Congress ILS, MAVIS, AVCMS, and the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) Treasures Database, the Contractor shall create a comprehensive overview of the extant single-reel, silent moving images (1894-1915) in the national collection through the development of a Library Research Guide. The Contractor may also need to access Moving Image Section card files, unprocessed collection files, acquisition files, preexisting documentation such as relevant conference research and filmographies to create this overview. The overview shall be delivered in as a Library of Congress Research Guide, or LibGuide, see Section C.3.5.A.

The purpose of the LibGuide is to make accessible this vast resource of hidden moving image materials that are difficult for the public to locate. It will facilitate the identification of rare moving images produced in the United States as well as parts of the world in which no national copyright system was in place to ensure the survival of these artifacts.

A. LibGuide Basics The Contractor shall create a guide that adheres to the format of preexisting Library of Congress Research Guides as outlined on the LOC webpage Structure of a LibGuide: https://guides.loc.gov/manual/guide-structure

Examples of existing Library Research Guides may be located here:

· https://www.loc.gov/rr/mopic/findaid/mpfind.html

· https://guides.loc.gov/

In order to assure that the LibGuide successfully follows templates and adheres to Library standards, Kim Tomadjoglou will participate in two LibGuide Basics Classes offered and work in coordination with the Contractor to disseminate and utilize the information provided therein.

B. LibGuide Content Format This LibGuide will be comprised of an annotated guide to extant fiction and non-fiction, single-reel moving image materials in the national collection covering the period (1894-1915). The guide shall address the short films of the Library’s collections in two historical groupings, see C.3.5.C. This distinction relates to the form and style of narration represented in early motion pictures, and the likely types of research being performed based on current academic interest. Given the number of films in the Library’s collections, it also helps make the project more manageable.

Each section or part will include a narrative overview and comprehensive inventory of extant single-reel motion pictures organized by subject and LC genre-form headings and include filmographic information: title of work, year, and country of production, corporate and pertinent individual credits if applicable, collection name, and shelf location in ILS or MAVIS Replacement. Below is an example of inventory entry.

Subject - Non-Fiction. Genre - Travelogues

The Ancient Town of Gubbio (Umbria Central Italy); (Cines, 1913); Italy. MAVIS 17568. AFI/ Synder (William) Collection.

Monte Carlo (Monaco); (Cines, 1912). Italy. MAVIS 17569. AFI/ Synder (William) Collection.

The Golden Shell of Palermo, Sicily (Cines, 1911) Italy, MAVIS 17571. AFI/ Synder (William) Collection.

Links to sample digitized moving image items may be included for each subject/generic category allowing direct access to the National Screening Room. In such cases, the entry for the viewable item may be more comprehensive and include information such as individual credits and brief summary (see sample below).

Subject - Fiction. Comedy

Starting Something (Solax, 1911). United States; Dir./prod: Alice Guy Blaché. Lobster Film Collection. MAVIS 2297087.

The variety format featured in American dime theaters and exhibition venues, especially in urban cities, relied on single-reel comedies to fill daily programming and they were cheap to produce. In this early Solax comedy, a shared bottle of lime juice thought to be poison is the source of ruckus and disruption in which a maid, a butler, a doctor and a policeman are led in circles by a delirious husband, whose can’t hold his liquor or tolerate the feminist atmosphere in which his Auntie, a hefty, full-busted suffragette, dresses like a man and fills the house with signs like “Women for President.”

C. LibGuide Content Groupings The two groupings are:

· Motion Pictures - Novelty Phase (1894-1905) At the end of the late nineteenth century, public exhibition of motion pictures inaugurated the cinema as the pre-eminent art form and popular mass-culture commodity of the modern era. As part of the history of the industrial drive to mechanization, the early cinema closely followed scientific developments in motion studies, aerodynamics, flight and locomotion, while popular amusement novelties—postcards, comic strips, illustrated songs and lantern slides provided content for capturing the public’s imagination. The years 1894 to approximately 1905 are known as cinema’s novelty phase, as brief single-and multi -shot motion pictures captured amusement attractions— from a train arriving in the station to stage performance acts, such as the magic show, vaudeville, and cafe – chant.

· The Rise of the American Nickelodeon Theater and Single-Reel Subject (1905-1915) In the United States, corner-front stores, makeshift halls, saloons, defunct theaters and dime museums were among the first indoor exhibition venues to show moving images to Americans. From the working class, to immigrants to middle class patrons, women and children, the public’s insatiable thirst for motion pictures, coined by the press as “nickel madness,” created a national audience and correspondingly a boom such that demand outweighed supply. The Nickelodeon Era set the stage for the development of the American film industry by creating an environment for domestic and international competition in the business of producing, distributing and exhibiting motion pictures worldwide.

3.5.2. Project Deliverables

C.3.6 Local Television News Summit: Part 2 The Contractor will work with the Library of Congress-designated Local Television News Project Head Caroline Frick of the University of Texas at Austin. Together in coordination with the COR and designated Library stakeholders, the Contractor will conduct a Local Television News Summit featuring prominent individuals from the artistic, archival and television fields. This will serve as a follow-up to an earlier summit held in late 2019. This summit will address needed post-pandemic action steps as described below. Depending on the status of the pandemic, the summit will take place at the Library of Congress either in late Fall 2022 or by June 30, 2023. Following the summit, the Contractor shall prepare a five-page summary and action plan.

3.6.1. Project Background

On September 20, 2019, the Library of Congress’ National Film Preservation Board, along with the Association of Moving Image Archivists, the largest organization devoted to the preservation of film and video in the world, brought together key stakeholders alongside PR/Marketing professionals to generate a preliminary plan as to how to move higher on the national agenda.

Although the ensuing pandemic severely impacted the ability to gather and discuss certain action items, vital, parallel work continued. During 2020-2021, the AMIA Local TV Task Force collaborated with a consultant to hone an outreach mission brief as well as create marketing collateral for use by media archivists and caretakers across the country. Initial development of a basic online brand and “calling card” for the initiative (www.thechannelusproject.com) was published in 2021. In addition, the Task Force has been working to finalize the first ever US local television database which will collate decades of research towards what extant local television collections exist, where, why, and more.

3.6.2. Project Description

The Contractor shall organize and host a summit meeting of stakeholders in the field. Organization and hosting shall include date, time, and place arrangement, agenda development, session and discussion moderation, and other necessary administration. This work will be performed with support from the COR.

The Contractor should ensure that summit participants include representatives from the original summit as well as new representatives and stakeholders that have emerged in the time since. Discussions at the summit should revolve around the current state of the project, how to build viable action plans for the 1-3-5 timeframe, and leadership for the project.

The intent of the summit should be to review where things stand at present and to plan future initiatives to help increase funding, public relations, and other support for the preservation of and access to local TV news collections across the country.

At the conclusion of the summit, the Contractor shall develop a summary of the meetings and discussions. This should include any information related to new action items, project leadership moving forward, locations or timeframes for projects underway, and anything else deemed germane to the event and success of the project.

3.6.3. Project Deliverables

C.3.7. 2K Digital Restoration of the National Film Registry title Requiem-29 The Contractor shall work with the Roundabout Lab and the UCLA Film and Television Archive to create a 2k digital restoration of the NFR film Requiem 29.

3.7.1 Project Description

As there does not seem to be any surviving pre-print elements, UCLA FTVA proposes that Roundabout Entertainment scan the best available 16mm print from UCLA and/or UC San Diego in 2K resolution. All prints inspected so far exhibit color fading, so Roundabout will use their best scanning and color recovery techniques to restore the color as much as possible. There is wear and tear in the prints that we will work on decreasing through DRS. Roundabout will also capture and restore the sound from the best 16mm print source.

When the digital restoration is complete, Roundabout will create a DCP file, and write it onto two CRU drives, one for UCLA and one for LOC. UCLA will also take possession of the digital archive of 2K raw scans, 2K Graded and Restored files, restored audio files and ProRes QuickTime.

3.7.2 Project Phases

Mastering/ Restoration Film Eval and Prep

2K 16mm Digital Film Scanning (Full App)

2K Data Color Correction (P3 Color Space)

709 Grade Conversion / Trim Pass

2K DRS Digital Restoration

Audio Restoration

Preservation Credit Creation

Digital Deliveries (Aspera)

Data Management

Transfer Master QC

Digital Cinema Data Archive Section

Digital Cinema DCP

DCP Write (Including CRU Drive)

DCP QC

Create ProRes QT 4444 (HD)

LTO7 Data Archive - 2K Raw Scans

LTO7 Data Archive - 2K Graded/Restored P3

LTO7 Stock

3.7.3. Project Deliverables

C.3.8. Cultural Competency Training for AV Archivists The Contractor shall work with the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) and the COR to create three (3) training videos in the field of Cultural Competency Training.

The National Film Preservation Board Diversity Task Force conducted a survey and focus groups to determine what was needed to make the field more accessible and welcoming to people from underrepresented backgrounds in an effort to increase cultural equity and inclusion practices in the workplace.

Suggestions for broadening out this knowledge include:

· providing training and resource materials for all levels of professionals in cultural humility, cultural competency, bias, and ally skills as well as

· resources and skill-build around inclusive hiring practices.

Larger organizations have developed company-wide trainings and, while SAA and other organizations have developed cultural competency trainings for archivists, the fees can be high. For smaller practitioners, inherent bias and cultural competency training can be unaffordable to provide for the full staff. Similarly, smaller practitioners often do not have dedicated HR departments trained in inclusive hiring practices and to ensure job descriptions reflect inclusive practices and language. This project will address these concerns and obstacles.

3.8.1. Project Description

The Contractor shall work with AMIA to develop a slate of three (3) training videos that can be offered as resources for all those working in the field but are particularly focused on individuals and smaller organizations who many not otherwise have access to affordable training.

The theme of the training videos will be determined in coordination with the COR and AMIA and could include:

· Unconscious bias and how to be an ally

· Inclusive communication & cross-cultural communication

· Inclusive Hiring Practices

The resulting training videos would be available via the AMIA website and open to all.

3.8.2. Key Personnel

In addition to the AMIA office and Board members, AMIA and the COR shall designate a Program Manager who will work with the Continuing Education Task Force and the Advocacy Committee, who will work in an advisory capacity, meeting with the Program Manager, helping with outreach, identifying skills needs for curriculum development, and structuring a cohesive schedule of trainings.

3.8.3. Project Deliverables

C.3.9. Development Coordinator The Contractor shall work with the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) and the COR to hire a Development Coordinator to explore new funding possibilities and help expand diversity in the audio-visual community.

3.9.1. Project Background

AMIA Pathways Fellowship, currently funded through IMLS, is a result of a pilot project funded by CLIR and the National Film Preservation Board in 2019. The program supports paid internships in combination with mentorship and professional development training to forge pathways in the audiovisual preservation field for people from groups historically underrepresented in the profession.

By 2023, the Fellowship will graduate 22 individuals from underrepresented communities. The relatively small size of the field means that a small number of people might double or triple inclusion and representation along any given vector. But since the goals of this project include fundamental transformation of the field and long-term career success for the participating fellows, the need goes well beyond what the program will be able to graduate during its funding period and new funding will be required to extend the program beyond 2023.

3.9.2. Project Description

The Library, in collaboration with AMIA, seeks to utilize a dedicated Development Coordinator to ensure the funding needed to develop grants or donations is secured. In the past, such funding has come from key sources such as IMLS, NEH, and various private foundations. The primary use of the funding is to extend the Pathways Fellowship Program beyond the 2023 cohort.

The Development Coordinator will be expected to prepare pitch decks that address and include:

I. Expansion of the Pathways Fellowship (APF) currently underway and funded by IMLS. Using the collaborations built and lessons-learned during the Pilot, grant funding would expand the program beyond 2023 when funding is due to run out.

II. Expansion of the AMIA Scholarship Program. AMIA administers the first scholarship program of its kind designed specifically for students wishing to pursue careers in moving image archiving.

III. Development of an annual Digital Summer School. This will expand upon the FY21 Professional Mentorship Pilot program by providing core training for archiving and preserving analogue media formats and providing educations opportunities to prepare archivists for work and issues in the field.

The Development Coordinator must be experienced in grant research and grant writing. While the Development Coordinator should be aware of current programs that offer potential financial support for the field (e.g. IMLS, NEH), research into other programs and potential foundation funders would be needed and outreach to possible collaborators important.

· The Development Coordinator will place an emphasis on identifying funders and writing grants for each area (I, II, III).

· If the grant application due date occurs after the conclusion of the Development Coordinator’s term on the project, the AMIA Board and Pathways Task Force will be responsible for submitting the applications in accordance with the timelines set forth by the granting agency.

· If time permits, the Development Coordinator will prepare recommendations for potential future avenues of funding, including potential funders (foundations, major donors, corporate sponsors), and potential targeted requests, that were not considered during the period of the award.

· The Development Coordinator will develop pitch decks ready for presentation to potential funders in each area covered by the funding.

3.9.3. Project Deliverables

The Development Coordinator will evaluate existing grant programs and create an outline and schedule for potential applications that speak to the priorities - understanding that deadlines for such grants may occur after the term of the Development Coordinator has concluded.

October-December 2022

The Development Coordinator will create checklists of elements required for each grant submission.

July 15, 2023

C.4. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS/DELIVERABLES

C.5. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

C.5.1. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE.

The majority of the work shall be performed by the Contractor at their facilities. Meetings will be remote or virtual. Certain tasks may require onsite activities and will be agreed upon between the COR and Contractor. The Contractor shall coordinate any onsite work by its personnel or subcontractors with the COR.

C.5.2. HOURS OF OPERATION. The Contractor shall be responsible for conducting business between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings.

C.6. KEY PERSONNEL

The Contractor shall identify two Key Personnel.

One (1) Program Manager and One (1) Alternate Program Manager: The contractor shall provide a Program Manager who shall be responsible for the performance of all work. The name of the Program Manager and an Alternate who shall act in the absence of the Program Manager shall be designated in writing to the Contracting Officer. The Program Manager and Alternate shall have full authority to act for the Contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The Program Manager and Alternate shall possess familiarity and experience with Audio-Visual Archival Practices and Organizations; flexibility and attention to detail; and contractual arrangements for travel.