HelPeR - BYU Idaho Special Collections and Family History

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Never store film in a non-archival container, such
as, manila envelopes or common plastic bags. Nonarchival
containers are constructed of acidic materials
that can destroy precious heirlooms by trapping
them in a polluted environment. Also avoid plastic
bags because they contribute to high humidity.
Archival boxes and envelopes are inexpensive and
provide an alkaline reserve buffer that prevents contamination
by nearby items.
One of the primary signs of film decomposition
is the so-called “vinegar syndrome.” The syndrome
occurs when the acetate in the film breaks down
into acetic acid and releases a vinegary smell and
white powder. Afflicted home movies should be
segregated from other films in their own containers
because acetic acid fumes can actually accelerate the
destruction of nearby items. The vinegar syndrome
is an irreversible condition that will eventually destroy
precious memories. Infected materials need
to be refrigerated to slow the process of decomposition
and transferred to a digital medium as soon as
possible. Fortunately, videotapes do not suffer from
the vinegar syndrome, but they do have their own
unique storage rules.
VHS and BETTA tapes consist of magnetically
charged particles bound to a polyester backer with
a polyurethane binder. The tape’s magnetic encoding
necessitates that they be stored far away from
any magnetic fields, including the magnetic fields
produced by your television set.
All tapes should be housed in archival containers
at room temperature and in moderate humidity.
V o e e o o i
Never store tapes rewound, for rewinding imparts
inconsistent tight and loose spots throughout the
reels. Over time these inconsistencies contribute to
breakage. Furthermore, treasured tapes should never
be paused.
Like rewinding, pausing stresses the polyester
backer, and over time it can snap. All video recordings
are ephemeral products that will not last more
than a couple of decades and need to be converted to
digital format, but the conversion of both video tapes
and film to a modern viewable system should begin
only after properly archiving the original materials.
The Conversion Process
The various film-to-DVD conversion houses on the
Internet range from decent bargains to expensive ripoffs.
Even Hollywood grade film transfer companies,
like DuArt Film and Video, provide digital conversion
services from Super 8 and 16mm because these
film types are still used by avant-garde artists and
professionals. It is best to send talkies (sound films)
to a professional company like DuArt because most
Internet transfer houses are incapable of properly
synching speech to the motion of the footage. Film
owners can avoid much heartbreak and financial distress
can by arming themselves with information on
the process of updating to a digital format.
Film owners should always apply Stanford University’s
LOCKSS archiving maxim when transferring
precious memories to digital. In short, LOCKSS
stands for Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe. Applying
the LOCKSS system, it is best to have all motion pictures
digitized and placed on both an external hard
drive and a mini DV tape rather than just on a DVD
Ja n ua ry/Fe b r u a r y 2009 Ev e r t o n’s Ge n e a l o g i c a l He l p e r © 27