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of major film companies have installed low-temperature storage vaults to protect their valuable film ast>ets. The heart of the new preservation approach is to understand and exploit the relationship between storage conditions and film decay to the advantage, rather than the detriment, of film collections.
Clearly it is time to broaden the scope of film preservation activities and abandon a narrow focus where copying in anticipation of future decay claims such a large share of funding and staff resources. Duplication and physical restoration of films is a vital part of preservation. It should continue, but as part of a balanced program that emphasizes prevention of decay through improved storage. Duplication should be used selectively in cases where films are showing signs of active deterioration, or where physical restoration is needed to make films accessible.
The advantages of such a balanced "whole film" approach are lower costs and greater useful life for all the films in collections. The costs of improved storage can be considerable, but they are still far lower than any other preservation option. Cold-storage vaults and major environmental control projects conjure up an image of outrageous cost, but when a single . feature-length film can cost $40,000 to copy, prevention seems by far the better bargain. While major vault construction is costly, it is also cost-effective for many large collections when the value of the collection and the costs of duplication are considered. For smaller collections, centralized, shared storage in large vaults is a viable way to achieve long film lifetimes.
The new research in film deterioration shows that small, incremental changes in storage conditions can result in considerable life extension for film collections. Staff education and new approaches to environmental monitoring can help collections with few resources to determine where such low-cost but still potent improvements would be possible. In fact, much can be done to preserve films short of large capital projects. The first steps are to understand how deterioration is affected by temperature and RH, and to measure actual conditions. Considerable improvements can then be made by small, simple steps such as lowering thermostats, shutting off heat vents, relocating collection materials within a structure, etc. For some small collections, household freezers can be a very successful storage approach.
Because managers of film collections have become accustomed to thinking that only grand projects and ideal conditions will make a difference, they have lacked the incentives to make incremental improvements. There is a need for better tools with which to evaluate storage environments in light of the npw.understanding of deterioration behavior. Such tools might include simple electronic monitors that sense temperature and RH and 'read
Supporting Document A: Keeping Cool and Dry 37