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Preserving the Sound of America

Posted by timothy on from the flac-and-ogg-would-be-nice dept.

jonerik writes "The Associated Press (by way of MSNBC) has this article on the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry, which 'seeks to ensure even greater protection for some of the most notable songs, speeches and other utterances.' To that end, the library's extensive collection of recordings and photos will soon be moved to a massive 41-acre complex built into the side of a mountain in Culpeper, Virginia. When construction on the site is completed - in about three years - anything stored in Culpeper should be available via computer at the library's Madison Building on Capitol Hill. The Library of Congress has been collecting recordings for almost 100 years, the first being a recording of a speech by German Emperor Wilhelm II. Since then the library has collected recorded speeches by every American President since Theodore Roosevelt, oral histories, music, radio broadcasts, and other examples of recorded sound." This sounds like a collection which will become more valuable as more people have access to the actual content of the collections.

7 of 202 comments (clear)

  1. Mickey Hart and Save Our Sounds by pyite · · Score: 5, Informative

    Mickey Hart of Grateful Dead fame has had a big part in this effort. It's a real noble movement they're participating in. Everyone thinks history is always written and suddenly people realized that we have the technology to make it more. Read more about his involvement and Save our Sounds here.

    --

    "Nature doesn't care how smart you are. You can still be wrong." - Richard Feynman

  2. NPR All Things Considered this afternoon by yet+another+coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    I heard a piece, including some sound clips, this afternoon on ATC. The story and a few selections are here. It is an excellent project. The copyright limitations are disappointing, however.

  3. What it used to be by Alegato · · Score: 5, Informative
    I live near and work even closer to this very interesting facility. It used to be the Federal Reserve System's Communications and Research Center (a pretty important part of the Federal Reserve System), and it also served as an emergency "continuity of government facility" at one time. Check these links for your browsing pleasure (links have pictures, Google search "Culpeper Federal Reserve" gives lots of info)

    Link1

    Link2

    Link3

  4. Hmmmmmm.... this is interesting by sickboy_macosX · · Score: 3, Informative
    The library's extensive collection of recordings and photos will soon be moved to a massive 41-acre complex built into the side of a mountain

    Sounds like the federal government is taking lessons from the mormon church in Salt Lake City. (All of the Mormon Church Geneology records are entoumbed in a Mountain in Big Cotton Wood Canyon in Salt Lake City, and up by McCall Idaho. They do it because of the fact that if the Apocolypse ever happens there are records.

    The government must know somthing we dont...

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    --- /* In Soviet Russia, the Mac OS X kernel panics you! */
  5. Re:Obligatory Copyright Jab by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 3, Informative
    Ahh, no. Like any other library, they can buy their own copy of anything they want.

    Bzzzt. As the guy one thread above pointed out, copyright law chapter 7 section 704 says:

    (a) Upon their deposit in the Copyright Office under sections 407 and 408, all copies, phonorecords, and identifying material, including those deposited in connection with claims that have been refused registration, are the property of the United States Government.

    (b) In the case of published works, all copies, phonorecords, and identifying material deposited are available to the Library of Congress for its collections, or for exchange or transfer to any other library. In the case of unpublished works, the Library is entitled, under regulations that the Register of Copyrights shall prescribe, to select any deposits for its collections or for transfer to the National Archives of the United States or to a Federal records center, as defined in section 2901 of title 44.

    If you were congress and invented IP, you'd be a fool to saddle yourself with the restricions you're imposing on everyone else.

  6. Re:Off-site backup? by ragnar · · Score: 5, Informative

    The facility is a former military building which is built into the side of a small mountain (more of a hill if you ask me). The first layer of protection is pretty good. It is referred to as a digital vault of sorts.

    At this stage of the planning there isn't a much concrete discussion about backup, not because it won't be needed, but rather because the technology is a moving target. If memory serves right, they hope to open the facility in about 3 years. Backups are no doubt on the integration plan, but a lot of the architecture is still in a planning phase.

    (disclaimer: I work on this project at the Library of Congress)

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    -- Solaris Central - http://w
  7. Sound Archives collections. Boston Public Library. by donsaklad · · Score: 3, Informative

    Our Boston Public Library, the so called Massachusetts Library
    of Last Recourse, deflects people interested in our Sound Archives collections.
    Of interest are the recordings of now defunct local broadcasters.
    Shelf lists are public record, but BPL has
    violated state freedom of information principles!

    See also
    Weblog. Guide to Problematical Library Use. Boston Public Library.

    Stories
    http://GuideToProblematicalLibraryUse.WebLogs.com/ stories

    Updates
    http://GuideToProblematicalLibraryUse.WebLogs.com
    http://zork.net/~dsaklad