ABSTRACT
This entry provides an overview of sound archives, including reasons why sound archives exist, their history and organization; types of sound recordings collected, methods of description, and access to and preservation of recorded sound materials. Recorded sound formats (e.g., cylinders, discs, long playing (LP) records, etc.) are covered in the context of how they have been (and are currently being) collected, described, preserved, and made available. Select projects and programs undertaken by regional, special, and national sound archives are covered. Professional associations that focus on sound archiving are described as are funding avenues for sound archives. Description is also included of work being carried out in the United States to modify copyright law to better enable sound archives to preserve their holdings for future generations of users.
