As audiovisual formats and digital storage technologies continue to evolve, cultural heritage institutions are increasingly responsible for collections that span both legacy digital media and time-based audiovisual carriers. From floppy disks and CD/DVDs to MiniDiscs and tape-based formats, these materials require different, but overlapping, approaches to ensure their long-term preservation and access.
Designed for digital preservation and data professionals, as well as heritage practitioners responsible for audiovisual and legacy media, this hands-on workshop brings together forensic imaging workflows and audiovisual digitization approaches. Participants will gain a clear understanding of when and how to apply each method within a preservation strategy. Through live demonstrations on a professional forensic workstation alongside audiovisual capture setups, participants will be introduced to a range of tools, workflows, and decision-making processes.
By the end of the workshop, participants will understand how to:
- Identify digital and time-based storage media, common formats and metadata
- Distinguish forensic imaging from digitization and select the appropriate approach
- Apply forensic imaging techniques to legacy digital carriers (e.g., floppy disks, CDs, USB drives)
- Capture audiovisual content from formats such as MiniDisc and other time-based media
- Conduct safe handling and write blocking to prevent data alteration
- Set up forensic imaging stations in a variety of institutional settings
- Troubleshoot unreadable or failing media
- Integrate these workflows into institutional practices that support long-term preservation and access
Learning to Work with Audiovisual and Legacy Media
University of Southampton
£175, discounted places on request
Online, 25 September 2026, 1100-1530 (BST)
See more here and book
