Digital Preservation Advisory Unit

As audiovisual formats and digital storage technologies continue to evolve, cultural heritage institutions are increasingly responsible for collections that span both legacy digital media and time-based audiovisual carriers. From floppy disks and CD/DVDs to MiniDiscs and tape-based formats, these materials require different, but overlapping, approaches to ensure their long-term preservation and access.

Designed for digital preservation and data professionals, as well as heritage practitioners responsible for audiovisual and legacy media, this hands-on workshop brings together forensic imaging workflows and audiovisual digitization approaches. Participants will gain a clear understanding of when and how to apply each method within a preservation strategy. Through live demonstrations on a professional forensic workstation alongside audiovisual capture setups, participants will be introduced to a range of tools, workflows, and decision-making processes.  

By the end of the workshop, participants will understand how to:

• Identify digital and time-based storage media, common formats and metadata
• Distinguish forensic imaging from digitization and select the appropriate approach
• Apply forensic imaging techniques to legacy digital carriers (e.g., floppy disks, CDs, USB drives)
• Capture audiovisual content from formats such as MiniDisc and other time-based media
• Conduct safe handling and write blocking to prevent data alteration
• Set up forensic imaging stations in a variety of institutional settings  
• Troubleshoot unreadable or failing media
• Integrate these workflows into institutional practices that support long-term preservation and access 

Timing of the course: 12:00hrs - 16:30hrs

Frequently Asked Questions 

Do I need to install any software before the workshop? 
No. All demonstrations will be livestreamed, and no pre-installation is required. The hardware used during the workshop will be a FRED forensic workstation, but the session is designed to be hardware-agnostic. 

Do I need physical legacy media to participate? 
No. Sample images and logs will be shared for demonstration purposes. 

Are there discounted places available? 
Yes, we are able to evaluate cases for discounted places, particularly for participants from Official Development Assistance (ODA) countries. Please email digitalpreservation@soton.ac.uk with a brief note on your situation and we will offer you a discounted ticket. 

Can I pay via invoice or purchase order? 
We ask that you please attempt to use the online store to issue payments wherever possible. If you do require an invoice, please send us an email at digitalpreservation@soton.ac.uk with plenty of advance so we can get the process started for you.

Payment using the Online Store can only be completed via Visa and Mastercard Credit/Debit Card or PayPal.  AMEX is not accepted.
If you have not previously created an account for the Online Store, you will need to create an account to make a booking.

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