Independent Media Arts Preservation

Cultural History at Risk: Independent Media and Preservation Preservation

This document traces the preservation crisis for independent American television and video from late-1960s portapaks through obsolete formats such as 1/2" open reel, 2" quad, Betamax, 3/4" and VHS; it records early concern in the 1980s about tape degradation and cites the Library of Congress study (William Murphy, 1997). It describes the formation of Independent Media Arts Preservation (IMAP) in February 1999 as a consortium led by media organizations including Media Alliance, Electronic Arts Intermix, Experimental Television Center and Bay Area Video Coalition; FY2000 priorities include a Cataloging Project (IMAP MARC/FileMaker template and web tutorial), technical assistance grants, information resources, advocacy and storage research, with support from the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Rockefeller Foundation.