The Audiovisual Media Preservation Initiative (AVMPI) is a centralized resource that supports the overall need for individual Smithsonian units to catalog, preserve, and provide access to our audiovisual collections. Goals At our current rate of preservation, the Smithsonian is facing an estimated total loss of 190,000 audiovisual assets by 2034. In order to stem the tide of irreparable loss, the initiative is focusing on five main goals to enhance the public’s access to the Institution’s audiovisual collections. About Us The Audiovisual Media Preservation Initiative, which will be made up of seven full-time staff, a task force, and an advisory committee, supports the preservation needs of Smithsonian audiovisual collections through an innovative, pan-institutional approach. History of AVMPI From December 2015 to May 2019, eleven Smithsonian units participated in a pan-institutional audiovisual survey and preservation readiness assessment. The primary goal of both projects was to gather comprehensive data about one of the Smithsonian’s most at-risk collection subsets. The information gathered during the survey and assessment serves as the foundation for the initiative. Resources Check back for updates related to resources surrounding collection management, digitization, and accessibility. What’s Happening at the Smithsonian Check back to view collections that have been digitized through the Audiovisual Media Preservation Initiative. For now, explore YouTube clips from the National Museum of African American History & Culture, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Archives of American Art, and the Human Studies Film Archives.
