Tip #27: Only you can prevent the gunking up of your tape player.

If archives were a superhero show, there would be a couple repeat villains. Mechanical damage, heat, light, and today's archnemesis: humidity. Humidity destroys information preserved on acetate film, turns certain kinds of leather into piles of red dust, and creates ideal conditions for mold.

In video cassettes (and other kinds of magnetic tapes), humidity causes sticky shed syndrome. As the name implies, this water absorption turns the coating of the tapes into a sticky goo that attaches itself to whatever it comes into contact with next. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, the tape player you were trying to play said tape on! Prevent the gunking up of your tape player and monitor your humidity.

For more on preserving audiovisual materials, stay tuned for our next archival tip! Can’t wait? Check out our AV preservation webinar on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtxDC7SPgW4

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