︎
L. M. RAMSEY


Laura Margaret Ramsey (Canada/USA) is an NYC based imaging specialist and artist working with data, sound, video, and photography. Her artistic practice is informed by archival structures, computational ecosystems, and the ethical considerations of human & non-human animals, plants and machines. 

She is currently the Manager of Conservation Documentation at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Adjunct Lecturer in New York University’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation MA program
NYU - MOVING IMAGE ARCHIVING & PRESERVATION
DIGITAL PRESERVATION CINE-GT 1807
FALL / TUESDAYS 6-10 pm
SYLLABUS

-----------------------------------------------
01 [08.09.2026]
INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL PRESERVATION
+ ARCHIVAL ETHICS

Topics
Foundations of digital preservation in audiovisual archives
Ethical frameworks for cultural memory and access
Archival responsibility and representation
Readings
  1. Digital Preservation Handbook: Introduction
  2. FIAF Code of Ethics
  3. FIAF Basic Principles of Digital Archiving
-----------------------------------------------
02 [15.09.2026]
OBJECTHOOD & ABOUTNESS:
THE SHIFT TO DIGITAL LANGUAGE

Topics
Evolution from analog inscriptions to digital metadata syntax
Origins of metadata syntax and cataloging conventions
Impact of digital systems on archival description and access

Readings
  1. Elizabeth Edwards and Janice Hart, eds., Photographs Objects Histories: On the Materiality of Images (2004), introduction.
  2. Dragan Espenschied, “Digital Objecthood,” in Selçuk Artut, Osman Serhat Karaman, Cemal Yılmaz, eds. Technological Arts Preservation, Sabancı University, Istanbul, 2021. pp. 116-139
  3. Getty Research Institute: Inscriptions/Marks
Activity
SCRIPT DOWNLOAD FOR PRAAT
Lab Walk-through Inscriptions exercise – due 22.09.2026 (Assignment 1)

-----------------------------------------------
03 [22.09.2026] 11-2 PM DATE/TIME TBC
FIELDTRIP: NYPL SCHOMBURG
DUE Assignment 1: Inscriptions — 150 points
DUE Assignment 2: Email Chosen Front End Website/Database for Presentation

-----------------------------------------------
04 [29.09.2026]
TERMINAL REFRESHER WORKSHOP
PLAY TERMINUS!
https://web.mit.edu/mprat/Public/web/Terminus/Web/main.html
PLAY BASHCRAWL! 
https://gitlab.com/slackermedia/bashcrawl/-/releases

-----------------------------------------------
05 [06.10.2026]
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
DUE Assignment 2: Presentation on Front End — 250 point With a prepared slide deck, describe a database online that has a significant collection of text + visual data. Discuss the consistencies and inconsistencies in the data. Must be 15 min. in length. Note: Students must give presentations asynchronously for this assignment and are expected to provide answers and insights during an in-class Q&A. Slides must be emailed by October 13.

-----------------------------------------------
06 [13.10.2026]
 DATABASE WORKSHOP

Topics Fundamentals of databases in cultural heritage: how structured information is stored, queried, and maintained. Learn how a relational database manages cultural heritage information by redesigning cataloguing structures and batch-uploading metadata into FileMaker Pro. Lab
Filemaker Trial
-----------------------------------------------
07 [20.10.2026]
THE CLOUD HAS A BODY:
SOCIAL + ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS

Topics The physical infrastructure behind digital preservation, the environmental costs of long-term digital preservation and which communities bear them.
 Lab
Excel exercise - due 27.10.2026 (Assignment 3)
-----------------------------------------------
08 [27.10.2026]
DAMs WORKSHOP

Topics Introduction to Digital Asset Management Systems and the distinction between storage, file systems, databases, and DAMS. Identify DAMs toolkit. Lab Use the command line to create a new directory structure for a small archive collection. Transfer files into the directories using cp, mv, or rsync. Generate file listings with size and checksum values.
Extract metadata using ExifTool
Excel exercise - due 27.10.2026 (Assignment 3)
DUE Assignment 3: Excel Spreadsheet — 150 points
-----------------------------------------------
09 [03.11.2026] DATE/TIME TBD
FIELDTRIP: MOMA QUEENS
-----------------------------------------------
10 [10.11.2026]
AUTOMATION + REPEATABLE WORKFLOWS

Readings
  1. https://squarespace.com/static/65946a3bbb3b33419fbce4e2/t/66cf5c4d162cca4a3e8284fe/1746635131855/Maintainer-Guide.pdf
  2. https://github.com/Irish-Film-Institute/IFIscripts
  3. pip(3) install ifiscripts
Lab
From Manual Command to Automated Script
 -----------------------------------------------
11 [17.11.2026]
PREMIS + OAIS MODEL

Topics
OAIS reference model as a guiding framework for ingest, storage, preservation, and access. Submission Information Packages (SIPs) and packaging standards (BagIt, METS, PREMIS). Metadata and manifest creation. Preparing files for ingest and long-term storage
Readings
https://github.com/keeps/roda-in/releases/tag/2.8.2
https://coptr.digipres.org/index.php/Main_Page
BagIt Excercise Lab
Create a SIP — Build a SIP folder with content files, metadata, checksums, and manifests. Explore other command line tools
-----------------------------------------------
12 [24.11.2026]
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
DUE Assignment 4: Presentation on Preservation Tools — 250 points

With a prepared slide deck, present the plan for your imagined institution, including your workflow, preservation tools, and SIP structure. Must be 15 min. in length. Note: Students must give presentations asynchronously for this assignment, and are expected to provide answers and insights during an in-class Q&A.
-----------------------------------------------
13 [01.12.2026]
AMIA TRAVEL DAY

-----------------------------------------------

CORE READINGS

Trevor Owens, The Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation https://osf.io/preprints/lissa/5cpjt_v1

Al Sweigart, Automate The Boring Stuff with Python https://automatetheboringstuff.com/#toc

RESOURCES

Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC)An international membership organization providing guidance, training, and publications on digital preservation and lifecycle management.
https://www.dpconline.org/

Library of Congress – Sustainability of Digital FormatsAn authoritative resource on file format sustainability, recommended practices, and technical context for long-term digital preservation.
https://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/

File Signatures Database (FileSig)A searchable database of file format signatures used for file identification, validation, and digital forensics in preservation workflows.
https://filesig.search.org/

NEDCC A nonprofit conservation center offering practical guidance on digital preservation, including storage, file formats, and risk management.
https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/digital-preservation

Rhizome – ArtBase & Preservation ToolsA digital preservation program and archive of born-digital and new media art. https://rhizome.org/
IASA TC 03
The Safeguarding of the Audiovisual heritage: Ethics, Principles and Preservation Strategy
https://www.lasa-web.org/tc03/ethica-principles-preservation-strategy
IASA TC 04
Guidelines on the Production and Preservation of Digital Audio Objects
https://www. 3a8a-wab, ora/ tcod/audio-preservation
IASA TC 05
Handling and storage of Audio and Video Carriers
https://www.lasa-web.org/te05/handling-storage-audio-video-carriers
IASA TC 06
Guidelines for the Preservation of Video Recordings
https://www.asa-web.org/te06/guidelines-preservation-video-recordings