NDSA:Standards and Best Practices Working Group/Optical MeetingNotes/Passmore

• John Passmore (WNYC) @WNYCarchives
  • 30,000 CD-DA - CD-Rs with encoded audio
  • Created in early 2000s by WNYC staff
  • Considered preservation masters for that era
  • Group of CDs were made using same machines, same brands of discs, so in a sense a control group
  • CDs function as material for the reference library for a long time - Librarians noticed that pulling CDs some were not playing, ripping properly, determined a need to get data off of the CDs ASAP, purchased equipment and made a RIP station.
  • Ripped about 8k CDs, dumping wav files at digital asset management station, cataloging.
  • First wanted to test some to learn about increase in errors and condition of collection.
  • Plextor drives used.
  • Large spectrum of discs regardless of year they were from and different levels of accessibility.
  • 2400 Mitsui silver CD-Rs
  • 20% of silver cds measuring previously detectable errors
  • None passed IASA’s specs for errors - technicians instead looking for what CD is getting kicked out and why.
  • Not gradual increase based on date - totally random variables
  • Conclusion: CD-DAs don’t last long and are unpredictable, accelerating aging only part of issues with optical media - hardware to make data, care and handling etc.
  • More open source solutions would be great to use with hardware that exists
  • Contact John Passmore at WNYC: jpassmore@nypublicradio.org