New to CSL’s Resource Kit Collection: Media Conversion Kits!

The Colorado State Library is delighted to announce the roll out of three new resource kits to help you manage old media formats! Media storage formats have evolved rapidly over the past 4+ decades, but many libraries and cultural heritage organizations have content stored on VHS, Cassette tape, Zip disk, and other formats that seem like a distant memory. While these were easily produced/reproduced formats for their time, they have a finite life-span both in terms of physical degradation and accessibility as playback technology becomes harder to come by and maintain. In order to retain the valuable content contained in these media, and improve access to it, it has to be migrated to new technology. The Let’s Share! Video Conversion, Audio Conversion, and Storage Media Conversion Kits were created to help staff at libraries and cultural heritage organizations convert content stored on older media formats and extend online access for greater visibility, and to minimize the need to handle and play content from the original analog formats, thus prolonging their life. Keep reading to learn more about the new kits and how to borrow them.

Let’s Share! Audio Conversion Kit

Tape 2 PC and laptop for audio conversionThe equipment in the Audio Conversion Kit allows for the creation of preservation and access copies of cassette tape and CD audio content. The Kit contains a Tape 2 PC Converter, an External CD/DVD Drive, How-To guides for Cassette and Compact Disk Audio Capture, a laptop that is preloaded with the software program that you will need to use the Tape 2 PC Converter, and a digitization toolkit to help guide your project and provide additional resources on digital audio capture and preservation.

Let’s Share! Video Conversion Kit

Periferal devices for VHS conversionThe equipment in the Video Conversion Kit allows for the creation of access copies of VHS and DVD video content, suitable for display on the web. The Kit contains a DVD/VHS Player, an Elgato Digital Capture Device, How-To guides for VHS and DVD Video Capture, a laptop preloaded with the software program that you will need to use the Elgato Video Capture device, a VHS-C adapter, and a digitization toolkit to help guide your project and provide additional resources on digital video capture and preservation.

Let’s Share! Storage Media Conversion Kit

The equipment in the Media Conversion Kit allows for the creation of access copies of content found on 3” floppy disks, Zip disks, and writable compact disks. The Kit contains external 3” floppy disk drive, an external Zip disk drive, an external CD/DVD drive, How-To guides for file transfer, a laptop that is preloaded with software programs that are useful for editing and converting images and audio files, and a digitization toolkit to help guide your project and provide additional resources on digitization and preservation.

External Zip, floppy, and CD/DVD drives

Borrowing a Kit from the Colorado State Library

To borrow a kit, you will need to be enrolled in the CSL Resource Kit Borrowing Program. Your “Kit account” is the same as your CSL Book Club account if you participate in that program. If you already have a CSL Book Club user number and password, skip to step 4 below.

  1. Go to https://cslkits.cvlsites.org/enroll/
  2. Complete and submit the enrollment form. You will receive an email with a user number and password for your library within a short time.
  3. Go to our online resource catalog at https://csl.catalog.aspencat.info/
  4. Login into your CSL account using the “Login” button at the top right of the screen.
  5. Use the Search bar, or browse for “Resource Kit”, to find the Kit you want to borrow.
  6. Place a Hold on the desired kit. The checkout period is 2 months. If the kit is available, it will be sent to you the next business day via the Courier. If it is checked out to another library, your hold will remain in place until the item is available or you cancel the hold.

Please remember to submit feedback either on the paper form included on the clipboard in the kit or online.

For further information about the CSL Resource Kits, contact KitSupport@coloradovirtuallibrary.org.