Amanda McQueen, Spring 2022

Amanda McQueen, New York Public Library, Spring 2022

In Spring 2022, I interned for the New York Public Library, dividing my time between the Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center and the Library Services Center in Long Island City, Queens. At LPA, I helped to digitize or transfer a variety of media formats from several collections: VHS tapes from the Harry Belafonte Collection, audio cassettes from the Arthur Unger Collection, CDs from the Ogden Lecture Series, and MiniDV from the Jerome Robbins Dance Division. I learned how to inspect and prepare the physical items for transfer; set audio and video levels and outputs using software tools like DVRescue, Vrecord, and ProTools; and record technical and preservation metadata in the FileMaker Pro database.

At LSC, I inspected 16mm films from the Black Heritage Series, held at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, so that they can be digitized using LPA's new in-house film scanner. The inspection process involves attaching new leader at the head and tail of the reel; repairing and cleaning the film as needed; measuring shrinkage; checking for vinegar syndrome using A-D Strips; counting the length of the reel in feet; assessing the film's overall physical condition; and gathering basic information about the format, base material, and emulsion. All this metadata was then entered into the Collection Management System.