Handling Media

Mediapedia Knowledgebase

Supported Media Types

Optical discs

USB Flash or External Hard Disks

Magnetic Disks, Cartridges, Floppies and Cassettes


 

 





Prometheus - Handling and Identifying Supported Media Carrier types


Handling of Optical Physical Format Materials

Rehousing and quality checking optical discs

The information below provides instruction for handling and rehousing physical format digital materials. Please:

  • exchange discs with the publisher if you find any damage to the item (outlined below)

  • re-house discs if they are not deposited in a suitable jewel case (outlined below)


 
Handling the item

  • Hold the disc (CD/DVD) between your thumb and index or middle finger on the outer rims of the disc

  • Don’t place your finger in the centre (spindle) hole of the disc as this puts pressure on the spindle and can increase the chance of wear on this part of the disc

  • To remove a disc from a jewel case, press down firmly on the spindle clamp and gently lift the disc by the outer rims from the jewel case

  • If the disc does not come free of the jewel case willingly, do not use excessive force (if you run into a problem, please contact Digital Preservation on x1366)

 

Observing the item

  • Search for scratches on either surface of the discs

  • Search for cracks in the spindle (the centre of the disc)

  • Search for any bubbling of air between the layers of the disc (search for any visible imperfections on the surface of the disc)

  • Check the surface of the disc under incandescent light (if possible), as this will show up many more imperfections than under fluorescent light

 

Observing the jewel case

  • Check the jewel case is rigid

  • Check the jewel case is not too narrow (the thin jewel cases are not suitable, only the standard thicker jewel cases should be used)

  • Check there are no cracks anywhere on the disc, including the front or back surfaces, the tray or the spine of the jewel case

  • Check the front of the jewel case is attached securely (ensure that there are no cracks or broken hinges)

  • Check the spindle clamp is not broken

  • Check the disc fits onto the spindle clamp snugly (not to tight, not too loose)

  • Items that arrive in standard DVD cases – where the case is suitably rigid – can remain in these cases

 

Cleaning the item

  • If you discover fingerprints, dust or other marks you can gently wipe the disc

  • When cleaning move the cloth from the centre of the disc towards the outer edges, in straight lines

  • Do not clean with a circular motion

  • Only use a microfibre cloth

  • Clean under incandescent light

  • For more stubborn marks, the disc can be cleaned using alcohol (isopropyl) and a cotton tip or you can contact Digital Preservation on x1366

  • If you discover any stubborn or difficult marks that you are unconfident in cleaning, please contact Digital Preservation on x1366

 

Marking the item

  • Never mark the disc with ink

  • In rare cases (such as where a disc has not been labelled at all) only use a xylene free pen

  • Only use a very soft tip pen (the tip of a felt tip pen is still too sharp)

  • Never use a biro

  • Never use stamp ink

  • If you have any queries regarding disks hand marked by the publisher or depositor, please contact Digital Preservation on x1366

 

Preparing for the stack

  • Carry out the above observations

  • Rehouse the item in a suitable jewel case where necessary

  • Exchange any damaged discs with the publisher

  • For monograph materials please place the disc and related items – or the disc only, if there are no related items – in a thin polypropylene box. (Monograph items that consist of only a disc are easy to loose on the shelf, so storing in a thin polypropylene box is necessary)

  • For serial items that consist of a paper-based item (e.g. magazine) and a disc, please place the disc in a suitable jewel case and both items into a snap-lock sleeve – so they are not separated – and send to the stack. For serial items that consist only of one disc, just place disc in a suitable jewel case and send to the stack. Stacks staff place the serial discs into polypropylene boxes, already housing other items for that particular serial

 

Preservation equipment

  • Digital Preservation will supply standard CD jewel cases (with the black tray), if the supply is becoming low please contact Digital Preservation on x1366

  • Digital Preservation will supply microfiber cloths, if supply is becoming low please contact Digital Preservation on x1366 or x1365

  • Digital Preservation will supply isopropyl alcohol and cotton tips, if supply is becoming low please contact Digital Preservation on x1366

  • Stacks will supply un-constructed boxes, if the supply is becoming low please contact Stack Services branch on x1517

 
Reference:

NIST Special Publication 500-252: Care and Handling of CDs and DVDs —A Guide for Librarians and Archivists

http://www.itl.nist.gov/iad/894.05/docs/CDandDVDCareandHandlingGuide.pdf

 

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Optical Media

Optical Media Image
(Obverse)
Image
(Reverse)
Can media be
processed by a
Prometheus user?
Can media be
processed by Digital
Preservation?

CD-ROM 

(various capacities)

Yes 

CD-ROM

 
(if no copy protection)

Yes

 

(No, if it contains a copy protection mechanism)

DVD-ROM 

(various capacities)
DVD-R

Yes 

CD-ROM

 
(if no copy protection)


 

Yes

(No, if it contains a copy protection mechanism)

Blu-ray
DVD-ROM 

(25 GB or 50 GB capacities)
BluRay DVD BluRay DVD


No

Therefore create the Job and associated Part(s) before transferring the Job and media carriers to Digital Preservation

Yes

(No, if it contains a copy protection mechanism)

HD DVD

DVD-ROM 

(15 GB, 30 GB or 60 GB capacities)

 HD DVD  HD DVD


No

Therefore create the Job and associated Part(s) before transferring the Job and media carriers to Digital Preservation

Yes

(No, if it contains a copy protection mechanism)

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USB Flash media or External Hard Disk media types

USB
attached
Devices
Image Can media be
processed by a
Prometheus user?
Can media be
processed by Digital
Preservation?

USB
Data Stick
(Flash
Memory)

   Lexar Jump drive Yes
but currently limited to 4 GB

(NOTE: ALL content
will be associated
to a single
Part)
Yes
but currently limited to 4 GB

External
USB Hard
Drives

external USB drive external USB drive  No
due to current size limits within Prometheus


(NOTE ALL content on the drive
will be associated
to a single
Part
No
due to current size limits within Prometheus

USB connectors 
for external hard disks

USB connector USB connector USB connector

Single File

e.g. PDF or e-mail attachment

Yes

Yes

Camera
Memory
Cards
(Flash
Memory)

CompacFlash card SC card  No
Therefore create the Job and associated Part(s) before transferring the Job and media carriers to Digital Preservation
 
Yes 

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Magnetic Disks, Cartridges and Cassette media

Magnetic Media Image
(Obverse)
Image
(Reverse)
Can media be
processed by a
Prometheus user?
Can media be
processed by Digital
Preservation?

3 ½” IBM Formatted Floppy Disks

(various capacities)

Yes
Digital Preservation can supply a USB Floppy drive on loan.

Yes

3 ½” Macintosh Formatted Floppy Disks 

(400 Kb, 800 Kb & 1.44 Mb capacities)

Apple 800 KB Floppy disk Apple 1.44 MB Floppy

No
Prometheus does not currently support 400 KB MF2-SD or 800 KB MF2-DD floppy disks. Therefore 
create the Job and associated Part(s) before transferring the Job and media carriers to Digital Preservation

Yes

(support for 400 KB MF2-SD, 800 KB MF2-DD and 1.44 MB MF2-HD floppy disks)

3 ½” LS-120 Floppy Disks

No - Therefore create the Job and associated Part(s) before transferring the Job and media carriers to Digital Preservation

Yes

5 ¼” Floppy Disks 

(various capacities)

No - Therefore create the Job and associated Part(s) before transferring the Job and media carriers to Digital Preservation

Yes

Zip Disks 

(100, 250 & 750 MB. capacities)

No - Therefore create the Job and associated Part(s) before transferring the Job and media carriers to Digital Preservation

Yes

Jaz Disks
(1 or 2 GB capacities)

No - Therefore create the Job and associated Part(s) before transferring the Job and media carriers to Digital Preservation

Yes

SyQuest Disks

(44, 88 or 200 MB capacities)

No - Therefore create the Job and associated Part(s) before transferring the Job and media carriers to Digital Preservation

Yes

SyQuest Disks

(105, 135, 270 MB or 1.5 GB.capacities)

No - Therefore create the Job and associated Part(s) before transferring the Job and media carriers to Digital Preservation

Yes

Orb Disks
(2.2 GB.capacity)

No - Therefore create the Job and associated Part(s) before transferring the Job and media carriers to Digital Preservation

Yes
Internal magnetic and solid state Hard Disks hard drive top view

No - Therefore create the Job and associated Part(s) before transferring the Job and media carriers to Digital Preservation

Yes
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