Media -- replacing/reformatting obsolete formats
(Last Revised November 20, 2013: Abrahamse, Duranceau, Follett, Willer)
Collections Review (CSM/IDLA)
- CSM/IDLA identify material in obsolete formats that needs reformatting and produces report for staff to review and annotate.
- CSM, and others as appropriate, review the list and decide which titles should be withdrawn from the collection and which should be retained.
Attempt to purchase replacement (ADE/Tangible Monograph Acquisitions)
- For those titles we plan to retain, we must attempt to purchase a copy in the new format before sending the material to a reformatting vendor. (ex: purchase DVD to replace VHS)
- Tangible Monograph Acquisitions staff searches the titles on the list via Google Search to see if any are commercially available for *purchase* in the new format , including streaming video. See our policy on reformatting, which includes a link to Streaming vendors:
- If a DVD or Streaming copy is available for purchase for $300 or less, create a new order in Aleph and order charging R-IRC-REPL- yyyy Fund. Note the PO# and price on the spreadsheet.
- If we find a copy available for purchase that is more than $300 for review as to whether the purchase price is “reasonable.”
- If the only streaming versions are on YouTube or free on other sites, i.e, there is no commercial option for purchasing the streamed version,) note the url and “free/Can’t purchase” on the spreadsheet.
Reformat (CPS)
- Forward the annotated list of titles to CPS (preservation-team@mit.edu ) so they can coordinate retrieval from the library.
- CPS staff will coordinate reformatting for material that could not be replaced.
- Procedures are documented in an internal CPS document “DigitizationProjectsProcedures.doc”
- Reformatting costs are charged to the REPL fund.
- In accordance with ARL best practices, the original items will be either withdrawn from the collection or stored with a non-circ status.
- Titles for which a replacement or streaming copy is available will not be reformatted; however, CPS will retrieve these titles and process them for withdrawal/storage.
Treatment of reformatted replacements (ADE/Tangible Cataloging)
- When the reformatted material comes back, CPS will annotate the spreadsheet with “Reformatted” and notify Tangibles Cataloger (Ben Abrahamse, babraham@mit.edu ) to update or replace the bibliographic record and add the following note:
- “This is a digitized version of a VHS tape, reformatted and made available to the MIT community under the Fair Use provision of US copyright law, and with specific guidance from the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Academic And Research Libraries (January 2012).”
- If a streaming copy is available and has been purchased, the SFX link noted on the spreadsheet will be put in the record.
