Media WG

Objectives and Tasks

In all domains of culture and education an increasing amount of digital material and information is being generated, which is not just based on text but comprises elements like sound, graphics, videos, animations, simulations etc., frequently in combination with each other.

But the different institutions using digital material display a very inhomogeneous stage of development and state of knowledge on the topic. Libraries and institutions attached to the "Mediathek" network already possess functioning media-archives which are positive examples for the treatment of digital material. On the other hand, there are smaller institutions, like university institutes, wishing to use digital media – e.g. for the compilation of digital teaching material – but lacking the technical know-how and the means of implementation. Museums as well as collections also increasingly work on the basis of digital information and born-digital objects whose long-term preservation and accessibility have to be secured.

The nestor-work-group "media" is aspiring to become a centre of knowledge and expertise on best-practice approaches to the problem of long-term accessibility of digital, non-text based media. With the participation of renowned experts on the topic, a virtual meeting point will be established and a handbook on long-term archiving of non-text based media will be published with special consideration of problems regarding file formats, hardware for the creation of archival backup copies and workflow.

Contact Persons

Dr. Stefan Rohde-Enslin, Institut für Museumsforschung (SMB-PK)
Jürgen Keiper, Deutsche Kinemathek