Whispers in the stacks: The problem of sound recordings in archives

Abstract

Although both audio and visual materials are distinctively twentieth-century forms of documentation, audio recordings have been largely ignored by the archival community. One reason for this lapse may be the lack of communication between "paper" and "sound" archivists. More critical reasons include the difficulties of appraisal, processing, use, and preservation that sound recordings pose for archives that are oriented toward the care of paper materials. The author explores these issues, offers suggestions for improving the status and care of sound recordings in archives, and stresses the importance of addressing this issue now, before preservation needs of aging sound recordings become overwhelming.