Over two days in July, members of the BFI National Archive Access Team took part in a ‘firebreak’ – a temporary pause in business as usual activity that allowed us to complete some much needed auditing.
During this period we carefully surveyed boxes containing a mixture of materials across various formats. These ranged from videotape to audio media, including Betacam SP, DigiBeta, 1-inch, Hi8, VHS, and even a couple of 3.5” floppy disks. The audit involved recording key details, researching origins, and checking whether high-quality source or preservation materials were already held in the BFI National Archive.
The aim was to provide meaningful context to support the Collections Development team’s decision-making around potential acquisition – or, where appropriate, disposal – as well as to identify materials with potential for commercial reuse…