ABSTRACT
Film and broadcast archives serve as repositories for moving image and sound resources. Whether found in commercial or noncommercial settings, these archives aim to collect, describe, preserve, and make accessible audiovisual materials for users. Archives face many challenges in maintaining film, video, and audio materials, including physical deterioration, format obsolescence, and storage requirements. Audiovisual collections also require significant investment in appraisal, metadata generation for description, and access technologies. In addition, the digital era has brought alterations to copyright legislation, such as the Copyright Term Extension Act and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which complicates the mission of audiovisual archives to preserve and provide access to their materials. Educational programs for archivists have been established and expanded in the last decade, offering new opportunities for the field to develop and grow into a distinct profession.
