{"id":5821,"title":"Storage Guidelines","kind":"book","url":"https://www.videohistoryproject.org/storage-guidelines","version":"f7e6b61ad11a20bde04db5c28ff0865ae368a4bec0d96ad9dc86ac7c71c8c35d","modified":"2026-09-15T17:42:38.7193337+00:00","credits":[],"authorKeys":[],"subjects":[],"metadata":[{"label":"Publication type","value":"Web Article","url":null}],"citations":{"page":"\u0022Storage Guidelines.\u0022 Video History Project, Experimental Television Center, 2026. https://www.videohistoryproject.org/storage-guidelines.","publication":"Storage Guidelines.","risUrl":"https://www.videohistoryproject.org/citation/5821.ris"},"links":[{"label":"Video Preservation - The Basics","url":"https://www.videohistoryproject.org/video-preservation-basics","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null},{"label":"Storage Guidelines","url":"#jump1","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null},{"label":"Resources on Storage - Publications and Sites","url":"#jump2","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null},{"label":"Bay Area Video Coalition","url":"https://www.bavc.org/","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null},{"label":"Television and Video Preservation","url":"http://lcweb.loc.gov/film/filmpres.html","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null},{"label":"New Tools for Preservation: Assessing Long-Term Environmental Effects on Library and Archives Collections","url":"https://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub59.html","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null},{"label":"SMPTE","url":"https://www.smpte.org/","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null},{"label":"Magnetic Tape Storage and Handling: A Guide for Libraries and Archives","url":"https://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub54/","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null},{"label":"American National Standards Institute","url":"http://web.ansi.org/public/site_indx.html","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null},{"label":"Council on Library and Information Services","url":"https://www.clir.org/","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null},{"label":"National Media Lab\u0027s Media Stability Technical Reports","url":"http://www.nta.org/MediaStability/","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null},{"label":"Southeastern Library Network, Inc","url":"http://www.solinet.net/","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null},{"label":"Related Internet Resources","url":"http://www.solinet.net/presvtn/links/org.htm#environment","relationship":"record body link","contentType":null}],"sections":[{"name":"body","source":"VHP record body","generated":false,"characters":7441},{"name":"summary","source":"existing VHP generated summary","generated":true,"characters":828}],"content":{"section":"body","source":"VHP record body","generated":false,"text":"Video Preservation - The Basics: contents Storage Guidelines Resources on Storage - Publications and Sites Storage Guidelines These are general guidelines to improve short-term storage conditions for your tapes. If you plan long-term storage, and are rehabilitating an existing storage area or building a new one, you will need to do more research and might want to consider outside consultants. If you are investigating off-site storage, additional research will help you to evaluate your needs and the prospective sites. See the Resources section for suggestions. Temperature and Humidity Tapes should be kept in a cool, relatively dry environment. For access storage, which means you are taking tapes in and out of storage on a regular basis, the recommended range for temperature is 60 - 73?F and a relative humidity of between 20 - 30%. If you are storing at the lower end of the temperature range, the humidity can be at the higher end. If you store at the higher temperature, the humidity should be at the lower end of the range. For example, 68?F at 25% RH would be within range. Storage guidelines for access storage should help keep tapes in a useable state for ten years. Archival storage recommends lower temperatures that will give tapes a longer shelf life and will drastically minimize further deterioration in older tapes. See Resources section for more information on long-term storage. Avoid temperature and humidity fluctuations; a range of no more than 7?F is recommended. For fluctuations in relative humidity, recommendations vary from fluctuations of no more than 5% RH to fluctuations of no more than 20% RH. Allow tapes and any equipment used with them to come to the ambient room temperature and humidity before you play them. High humidity and temperatures can cause binder and mold growth. Thus, the lower your relative humidity the better; however very low humidity can create static which attracts dirt. See Dr. Peter Adelstein\u0027s article \u0022Videotape Storage\u0022 in Playback: A Preservation Primer for Video in the Resources section. Monitor the Storage Environment Invest in a device to monitor the temperature and humidity, and set up a regular schedule for logging the information. The Storage Room It\u0027s preferable to have a room dedicated to storage because the environment is easier to control. Don\u0027t store tapes in areas that are subject to unexpected or uncontrolled extremes of temperature or humidity; avoid attics, areas near heating, plumbing or sprinkler systems, or lower floors, which may be prone to flooding. A windowless room is preferred; if your storage area has windows, be sure the tapes are not stored in direct sunlight. The room should be as free of dust as possible and easy to keep clean, without carpets, fabrics or exposed insulation. Allow no smoking, eating or drinking. Choose a well-insulated room with good air circulation; if possible air should be filtered. Room lights should be kept off when the room is not in use. Shelving Store tapes on metal shelves; it is best if they are grounded. Wood isn\u0027t recommended because it is a fire hazard, can emit gases and has a tendency to hold moisture and provide a medium for fungus growth which will damage magnetic media. If the metal shelving has been used, check to be sure that magnetic book ends weren\u0027t used because they can magnetize the shelves. If the shelving is motorized, be sure that tapes are stored away from close contact with the motors because they are a source of magnetic fields. Be aware of static discharges with metal shelves if the environment is very dry; generally these discharges probably won\u0027t damage the magnetic material. Store Tapes Upright Store tapes vertically, in an upright position, supported by the hub. They should not be stored horizontally, laying flat on the side. Allow for air circulation around shelving. Avoid Magnetic Fields Damage is usually caused by direct exposure, exposure for long periods of time, and exposure to strong fields. It is best to avoid exposure. Don\u0027t leave or store tapes near magnetic fields created by motors, generators, television sets, elevator installations, headphones, speakers, microphones, airport security scanning systems, or magnets of any sort. Separate Your Tapes In an ideal situation, duplicate tapes and high quality masters would be stored in different locations, or at least in two different parts of a building. In case of fire, flood or similar catastrophes, you may not lose all existing copies of a tape. Labels, Containers and Winding See the section on \u0022Care and Handling\u0022. Resources on Storage - Publications and Sites Publications Fifer, Sally Jo, Tamara Gould, Luke Hones, Debbie Hess Norris, Paige Ramey and Karen Weiner. (eds.) Playback: A Preservation Primer for Video, San Francisco: Bay Area Video Coalition, 1998. Murphy, William T. Television and Video Preservation 1997, Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 1997. See the chapter \u0022The Materials and their Preservation Needs\u0022 for a discussion on recommended temperature and humidity for tape. You can order the study from the Library of Congress. Reilly, James M., Douglas W. Nishimura and Edward Zinn. New Tools for Preservation: Assessing Long-Term Environmental Effects on Library and Archives Collections. SMPTE RP 103-1995 - Tape Care, Handling, Storage SMPTE RP 190-1996 - Care and Preservation of Audio Magnetic Recordings. Van Bogart, John. Magnetic Tape Storage and Handling: A Guide for Libraries and Archives. Provides guidance on how to care for these media to maximize their life expectancies. The paper was a joint project of the Council on Library and Information Services (CLIR), Commission on Preservation and Access, and National Media Lab, and is available at NML site. The report also contains links, a glossary, a bibliography and the Ampex Guide to the Care and Handling of Magnetic Tape. Vitiello, Stephen, and Leanne Mella. \u0022Facilities for Cleaning, Restoring, and Remastering Videotape.\u0022 The Independent (October 1991). Wheeler, Jim. \u0022Videotape Storage: How to Make Your Videotapes Last for Decades...or Centuries.\u0022 American Cinematographer, 64:1 (January 1983). Wheeler, Jim: \u0022Long Term Storage of Video Tape.\u0022 SMPTE Journal (June 1983). Sites American National Standards Institute (ANSI) The ANSI web site includes a searchable database of standards documents. An example of an ANSI standard is ANSI/PIMA IT9.23-1998: Imaging Materials - Polyester Base Magnetic Tape - Storage. Council on Library and Information Services (CLIR) The web site includes abstracts and ordering information on an extensive list of publications National Media Lab National Technology Alliance Online provides access to the National Media Lab\u0027s Media Stability Technical Reports. Included is a report \u0022Storage and Handling of Recorded Information\u0022 Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers SMPTE is engaged in the development of standards and practices and engineering guidelines, serving all branches of motion-imaging including film, video, and multimedia. RP 103-1995 - Tape Care, Handling, Storage RP 190-1996 - Care and Preservation of Audio Magnetic Recordings. Southeastern Library Network, Inc. Solinet is a not-for-profit library cooperative for the southeastern United States and the Caribbean. As part of the section Related Internet Resources there are many links to such topics relating to environments and buildings, such as pest control, carpets and mold.","offset":0,"nextOffset":null,"totalCharacters":7441,"complete":true},"rightsUrl":"https://www.videohistoryproject.org/terms-service"}