A service is the production of an essentially intangible benefit, either in its own right or as a significant element of a tangible product, which through some form of exchange, satisfies an identified need. Sometimes services are difficult to identify because they are closely associated with a good; such as the combination of a diagnosis with the administration of a medicine. Examples of services from the Digitization Services Branch:

• consulting with clients on appropriate products for specific purposes
• providing advice on risk assessment and priority setting
• working on standards committees
• conducting training and other educational outreach

• Consultation with NARA stakeholders

  • Advice on outsourcing to vendor versus what can be accomplished more successfully in-house
  • Advice on digital product deliverables in vendors or partner contracts
  • On-site visit to vendors/partners to review availability and condition of proposed transfer equipment
  • Provide advice on long term preservation planning options and actions
  • Provide technical guidance for digitization activities

  • Audio: Consultation with NARA stakeholders

    • Selection of appropriate digital audio products for specific purposes
    • Serve as subject matter experts in analog and digital audio preservation

  • Motion Picture: Consultation with NARA stakeholders

    • Technical identification and assessment of best optical qualities and/or most original film elements to retain for preservation and distribution
    • Serve as subject matter experts in photochemical motion picture film preservation as well as format specific history and technology

  • Video: Consultation with NARA stakeholders

    • Serve as subject matter experts in digital moving image preservation issues
    • Serve as subject matter experts in analog and digital video preservation

  • Still Images: Consultation with NARA stakeholders

    • Serve as subject matter experts in raster image creation issues

• Risk assessment

  • Physical condition assessment
  • Assist in setting priorities for yearly work plan and ongoing lab workflow

  • Motion Picture: Risk assessment

    • Physical condition assessment including A-D Strip testing and monitoring

• Enhancement for access

  • Audio: Enhancement for access

    • Limited enhancement of distribution copies for improved sound quality to meet specific institutional needs

  • Motion Picture: Enhancement for access

    • Color correction and density correction for new film elements
    • Limited enhancement of reproduction and distribution files for improved visual or auditory quality to meet specific institutional needs

  • Video: Enhancement for access

    • Limited enhancement of reproduction and distribution files for improved visual or auditory quality to meet specific institutional needs

• Stabilization of physical objects

  • Limited mold remediation, rehousing and cleaning for specific formats
  • All physical issues with textual and photographs are referred to Conservation staff.

  • Audio: Stabilization of physical objects

    • Sticky shed remediation/tape baking
    • Tape splicing
    • Demagnetization

  • Video: Stabilization of physical objects

    • Sticky shed remediation/tape baking
    • Tape splicing
    • Demagnetization

  • Motion Picture: Stabilization of physical objects

    • Repair of cracks, tears, broken / missing perforations, and other physical damage

• Technical Services

  • Technical metadata identification, collection, validation and schema development
  • Tool identification, evaluation and testing
  • Format obsolescence monitoring
  • Quality assurance program development
  • Quality control of digital products through automated systems and human driven processes
  • Equipment identification, evaluation, monitoring, testing and maintenance

• Technical Support

  • Audio: Technical Support

    • Application, hardware and software identification, research and testing
    • DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) hardware and software installation
    • Audio playback equipment installation and troubleshooting

  • Motion Picture: Technical Support

    • Format obsolescence monitoring including digital format issues and film stock availability

  • Video: Technical Support

    • Digital editing station hardware and software installation
    • Video playback equipment installation and troubleshooting

• Education and Training

  • Cross training provided for NARA staff (including Regions and Presidential Libraries)
  • Teach internal and external workshops and other classes
  • Host interns and lead departmental tours
  • Give presentations at professional conferences
  • Author articles, publications, or programs for internal and external journals as well as for events

  • Audio: Education and Training

    • Training on DAW and playback equipment for NARA staff (Regions and Presidential Libraries especially)

• Collaboration and outreach beyond NARA

  • Participate in the development of tools and standards
  • Monitor technical compliance with industry standards
  • Survey developments in comparable institutions in both process and products

  • Audio: Collaboration and outreach beyond NARA

    • Develop and maintain essential relevant interaction beyond NARA through active participation in professional organizations such as ARSC (Association for Recorded Sound Collections), IASA (International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives), and SAA (Society of American Archivists Recorded Sound Roundtable) as well standard committees such as AES (Audio Engineering Society) and FADGI (Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative).

  • Video: Collaboration and outreach beyond NARA

    • Develop and maintain essential relevant interaction beyond NARA through active participation in professional organizations such as Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA), as well standard committees such as SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) and FADGI (Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative).

  • Motion Picture: Collaboration and outreach beyond NARA

    • Develop and maintain essential relevant interaction beyond NARA through active participation in professional organizations such as Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA), Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC), and others
    • Participate in cooperative preservation initiatives including the Orphan Film Symposium, AMPAS Oscar Nominees and Winners, Pacific Film Archive Programs, Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum Symposia, National Film Preservation Foundation projects and others
    • Collaborate on joint projects and technical evaluations with other professional institutions including The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the Library of Congress (LoC), The George Eastman House (GEH), The National Film Preservation Foundation (NFPF), and UCLA.

  • Photographic Imaging, Microfilm and Textual: Collaboration and outreach beyond NARA

    • Develop and maintain essential relevant interaction beyond NARA through active participation in professional organizations including the Society for Imaging Science and Technology (IS&T) as well standard committees such as FADGI (Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative) and ISO (International Organization for Standardization).

• Audio Services
• Video Services
• Motion Picture Services
• Photographic Imaging, Microfilm and Textual Preservation Services