Stabilizing Film Collection Materials at Wartburg College/AIB and Improving Environmental Monitoring

FAIN: PG-258278-18

Wartburg College (Waverly, IA 50677-2215)
Amy M. Moorman (Project Director: April 2017 to March 2021)

The purchase of preservation supplies and environmental monitoring equipment (and training for staff in its use), to help preserve approximately 23,000 film, video, and audio resources. The Archive of Iowa Broadcasting’s holdings include news broadcasts from local radio and television stations, as well as some archival materials. Together, they cover a wide range of political, economic, and cultural developments in Iowa since the 1920s.   

The Archives of Iowa Broadcasting (AIB) contains oral histories, documents, photographs, promotional materials, artifacts and over 23,000 audiovisual recordings dating back to the early 1920s that document the history and development of radio and television in Iowa. These materials provide a wide variety of resources for research related to media and broadcasting, as well as 20th century regional and national social, political and cultural humanities topics. This project would provide equipment and supplies to rehouse the most at-risk items in the AIB’s film collection as well as purchase environmental monitoring equipment and provide training on its use. These tasks address specific concerns raised in a previous collection assessment and will further efforts to stabilize and preserve the AIB’s extensive audiovisual and other holdings for future researchers.

Associated Products

Wartburg Archives Web Catalog (Database/Archive/Digital Edition)
Title: Wartburg Archives Web Catalog
Author: re:discovery software
Abstract: 2139 catalog records for films processed via this grant project were added to the Archives CMS/web catalog.
Year: 2018
Primary URL: http://searcharchives.wartburg.edu/home.aspx
Access Model: Open Access

Establishing an Environmental Monitoring Program (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: Establishing an Environmental Monitoring Program
Abstract: This 2-hour online session will review why temperature and RH control is critical for preservation. The session will cover basics of using data loggers, including placement within collections storage spaces. Participants will then learn about and discuss how to interpret data collected by loggers, and how that data can be used to advocate for collections care.
Author: Peterson, Annie
Date: 5/10/2018
Location: Wartburg College, Waverly, IA; and Online

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