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Steven Smolian    
  301-694-5134
Smolian Sound 
  Studios
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CDs made 
  from old recordings,
Five or one or lifetime hoardings,
Made at home or 
  concert hall,
Text and pics explain it all.
at 
www.soundsaver.com=========================
 
  
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    
    
    Sent: Monday, October 15, 2001 12:11 
    PM
    Subject: arsclist Do You Provide Audio 
    Preservation Services?
    
    Greetings all.
     
    In the next week or two I will be preparing a 
    consultant's report for a client who has in their collection approximately 
    200 seven-inch reels of acetate tape and 35 12" acetate (lacquer coated 
    aluminum) instantaneous discs. The discs are from the late 1940s 
    and early 1950s. The tapes are from the late 1940s to the mid 
    1960s.
     
    In my report I would like to provide a list of 
    people, organizations, or archives that could provide professional 
    preservation transfer services for the above formats. This is simply for 
    informational purposes at this point. The client has received funding to do 
    some preservation microfilming of related paper materials and to do a survey 
    of the sound recordings (which I just did). They will need to raise grant 
    funds in order to proceed with the recordings preservation work, so that is 
    still a-ways off. But when I submit my report, it would be helpful if I 
    could list some resources so when the time comes the client could solicit 
    bids for the work.
     
    If you do this type of work for hire, please 
    send me any pertinent information by email or by snail mail. If you have a 
    brochure, I'd like to receive at least two copies--  one that I'd 
    attach to the report and the other I'd keep for my own files. If you have 
    only a web site (or prefer that as a source of information), let me know the 
    URL. I'll compile all the information and send it along to the client in the 
    next couple of weeks.
     
    Finally, for those who are curious, the reels 
    of acetate tape are not in great shape--  the usual pack expansion with 
    lots of air spaces, some cinching, curling, spoking, splices, stiffening, 
    etc. At least there is no mold....  The discs are very clean and show 
    no signs of flaking--  yet. The significance of the recordings and the 
    desirability of doing preservation transfers is something I'm still 
    investigating.
     
    Oh yes-- I am familiar with quite a few of the 
    people on this list that do this sort of work, but it wouldn't hurt for me 
    to have the most current info you've prepared about your 
    services.
     
    Thanks in advance,
     
    Steve Green
    Western Folklife Center
    501 Railroad Street
    Elko, NV 89801