During the fall of 2013, Stanford University Libraries (SUL) convened a working group to investigate the current state of access to audio and moving image materials held within its various collections, notably rare materials within its different special collections departments, along with those held at the Hoover Institution Library and Archives.

Following many weeks of investigation, the Media Access Working Group (MAWG) produced a report in December 2013 outlining its findings, along with various recommendations to help tackle the issues discovered. The group considered issues relating to use cases, copyright status, available technologies - including media streaming, and content usage.

Image from Fred Buenzle photograph album available online (M1983; xz190hb3188_00_047)

Fred Buenzle's 1898 photograph album of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba digitized

Fred J. Buenzle papers. circa 1870-1946 (M1983)

Just after the earlier article announcing the opening of this collection came out, a photograph album in the collection was digitized. It contains eighty fading silver gelatin prints which include images of Naval training in Guantanamo Bay and other images in and around Havana, Cuba.

Sound recording of Peter the dolphin after having LSD administered

John C. Lilly sound recordings digitized for use by the BBC

Recently a film director from the BBC visited the Stanford Libraries while seeking content for a documentary related to the noted cetacean researcher and activist John C. Lilly (1915-2001).

Additional University Archives films added to the Internet Archive

Stanford University Library's (SUL) collaboration with the California Audiovisual Preservation Project (CAVPP) has yielded two more preserved objects on the Internet Archive:

Stanford Media Preservation Lab is back in business

The Stanford Media Preservation Lab (SMPL) has completed installation of audio and video digitization equipment in its new facilities at 425 Broadway in Redwood City, and has resumed all services. We're 100% back to work, supporting researcher access to SUL's world-class collections of sound recordings and moving images.

Exploring Maps with the California Rare Book School - Map Digitization

During the week of November 4th, Julie Sweetkind-Singer hosted the California Rare Book School (http://www.calrbs.org/) with several sessions held at Stanford University Libraries. The CalRBS is an ongoing program founded by UCLA that educates students interested in the field of rare books. This specific course was designed to provide a general overview of the history of maps in the western world, as well as their use in modern-day teaching and research.

Victor- Victrola - Credenza (1925). This phonograph featured the largest horn Victor had built to date and was often used to demonstrate the quality of orthophonic reproduction.

Inaugural listening party at the Archive of Recorded Sound

The Archive of Recorded Sound recently held its first ever listening party on October 17th. We were thrilled to welcome over 40 attendees to the event here at the Archive, who were invited to flick through multiple boxes of duplicate 78rpm records, dating from approximately 1900-1940, to select those they would like to hear played on our 1925 Victrola Credenza, just one example from our magnificent phonograph collection here at the Archive which dates from 1904-1930. More details about this collection, including images and demonstration videos, are now available on our website.

Stanford Mendicants 1976/1977 - Album Cover

Celebrating 50 years of the Stanford Mendicants at the Archive of Recorded Sound

Ahead of their 50th anniversary show this Saturday (October 26th) at the Bing Concert Hall, I am very pleased to announce the successful recent completion of a 6 month project aimed at archiving and digitally preserving the Stanford Mendicants' complete recorded output between 1964-2012.

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