Conservation of Mechanical Audio Discs at the Word Archive of the National Library of Chile

Abstract

This article aims to present a series of recommendations for best practices in the conservation of mechanical audio discs, implemented in the series of records belonging to the Word Archive, safeguarded by the Photographic and Audiovisual Archive of the National Library of Chile. It specifically describes measures related to handling, disc cleaning, and storage conditions, which are considered part of the broad chain of actions that comprise the discipline of conservation. The recommendations presented here form part of a methodology proposed in 2019 —while current processes at the Archive have since evolved —and focus on both microgroove discs, known as vinyl records, and shellac discs, a specific type of coarse-groove record popularly known as 78 rpm records.