I am happy to inform you that our first edition of Timok Digital has been successfully realized in Zaječar last week.
The Timok Digital Media Digitization Workshop was a four day workshop (August 22-25, 2023) in Zaječar, Serbia designed to bring archivists, cultural workers, and community members together to strengthen media preservation efforts in the region. Three archivists from the USA led the training, and ten participants from cultural institutions in Timok Region participated. Hands-on training in identifying, assessing, and digitizing media collections was interspersed with presentations from regional cultural workers who discussed topics in preservation and funding opportunities. The goals of the project were to strengthen education and training in preservation, establish a foundation for a community digitization lab, strengthen community networks and collaboration in preservation, and build sustainability for preservation efforts.
Trainers + Coordinators: Siobhan Hagan, Smithsonian Institution, MARMIA Mid-Atlantic Regional Moving Image Archive, Baltimore, Maryland ● Marie Lascu, Community Archiving Workshop, XFR Collective, New York, New York ● Kelli Hix, Community Archiving Workshop, Nashville, Tennessee ● Vesna Madžoski and Mikica Andrejić, SKVER, Zaječar, Serbia ● B Milenković, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Guest Speakers: Smiljana Antonijević, Kosančićev venac Library ● Maša Seničić, a scriptwriter, an essayist and a poet ● Radiša Cvetković, Head of the Library at the Yugoslav Film Archive, board member, Kinoteka Magazine ● Sarah Ziebell, Regional Public Engagement Specialist for the Western Balkans, U.S. Embassy Belgrade ● Holly Zardus, Cultural Attache, U.S. Embassy Belgrade
Visual Identity: Andrej Dolinka
Participants had the opportunity to come away with the following Goals and Objectives:
1. Technical Training - Identifying, Assessing Analog Audiovisual Collections: Participants learned to identify and assess film, magnetic video, and magnetic audio. Participants learned best practices for physical storage of materials, and how to identify common risk factors. Participants received hands-on experience handling a variety of formats.
2. Creating Metadata for Media Collections: Participants learned to create an item level inventory with content and technical metadata fields. Participants learned to use this inventory as a foundation for developing a preservation plan and for collection advocacy. Participants received hands-on experience and will inventory a sample of 10-20 assets.
3. Technical Training - Scanning Paper and Photographs: Participants learned the basics of scanning paper, photographs, negatives, and slides using a high quality flatbed scanner, including hands-on time with the scanner.
4. Technical Training - Inspecting, Repairing, and Scanning Film: Participants attended a demonstration in film inspection using rewinds. The demonstration included splicing and repairing film in preparation for digitization. There was a lecture explaining film scanning workflows and options, and we used the Wolverine scanner to demonstrate a typical film scanning workflow in-person.
5. Technical Training - Inspecting, Repairing, and Digitizing Compact Cassettes: Participants attended a lecture and demonstration in inspecting, repairing, and digitization of audio compact cassettes. This assisted in building a foundational understanding for magnetic media technology and digitization workflows.
6. Developing Community Networks - Serbian Preservation Initiatives + Archives and Creative Engagement: Throughout the four day workshop, guest speakers presented 25 minute presentations on a variety of preservation efforts and funding opportunities for preservation in Serbia, followed by a question and answer session and discussion.
7. Developing a Simple, Sustainable Digital Preservation Practice: Participants learned the basics of creating a sustainable plan for their born digital and digital surrogate collections. Participants were invited to outline a sample plan as an exercise.
8. Develop Foundations for a Memory Lab: Participants and presenters discussed next steps to establish a community-centered preservation facility in Zaječar.
9. Visioning for Continuing Workshops and Collaborations: Using what we have learned through the four day workshop, participants and educators engaged in a round table discussion on next steps for supporting media preservation through the Timok Digital initiative.
This project is realized thanks to the volunteer work of many and the support of the Ministry of culture, Republic of Serbia.
We are looking forward to Timok Digital 2024 next year and we hope our network will only grow!
