Preserving Jewish Musical Memory – Digitization at the National Sound Archives The Jewish National and University Librarystaff Description: The Jewish National and University Library, David and Fela Shapell Family Digitization Project The earliest recordings are from the late 1920's up to the present time. The NSA holds over 10,000 hours of ethnographic recordings and over 10,000 hours of commercial recordings. The original sources are recorded on various formats, ranging from wax cylinders to DAT and CD. The replay equipment and formats are deteriorating or about to become obsolete. Therefore, rescue, preservation and long term safeguarding are the primary focus of the project. Selection for digitization is based on technical criteria, content and demand. This project is two fold: systematic digitization of the NSA historical collection and enrichment of the institution's collection from outside sources (broadcasting, private). As of 2004, over 3,000 hours of ethnographic recordings have been digitized. Accompanying written documents were also scanned and linked to the recordings. Technical information: Transfer is made to WAV master file and MP3 access file. The original sound is played on the best original or replicated carriers. No post-editing or compression is done. Access: At this stage, the entire digital collection can be accessed only at the NSA. A selection of liturgical music from a variety of Jewish communities and languages, as well as Israeli folk and pop songs is available at: http://www.jnul.huji.ac.il/eng/music.html
