Survey of the State of Audio Collections in Academic Libraries

Abstract

This report contains a survey undertaken in 2003 by CLIR to study the state of audio recordings in academic libraries. One purpose of the survey was to inform decision makers in those libraries, as well as in funding agencies, about the scale and extent of barriers to preservation and access. Another purpose was to elicit information that would help the participating libraries assess their own readiness to preserve and provide access to their recorded-sound collections. We also hoped that survey findings would help library leaders and funders determine how best to allocate preservation funds and thereby help ensure access to historically important sound recordings. Finally, the survey was designed to raise awareness within the larger research and funding communities of the value of audio collections and to encourage institutions with important audio holdings to seek support for their collections.