9.1.2 Archival Responsibilities and Collections

9.1.2.1  The first decision to be made is whether an institution should engage in digital audio preservation at all. Often audio or audiovisual collections came about in institutions with a variety of other aims which may not include professional preservation of audio materials. The ever increasing problems related to the physical preservation of an audio collection, the obsolescence of dedicated replay equipment, and digital long term preservation may suggest a rethinking of the collection and preservation policy. Where appropriate alternatives exist, audio collections could be handed over to more specialised institutions. This would not necessarily mean fully relinquishing ownership a collection; the receiving archive could be asked to produce, in return, listening copies that could be held – without significant costs – for further in-house use. Various possibilities of retaining, partly or fully passing on the right of ownership as well as user rights could be applied.