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UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION STUDIES
PRESERVATION OF MULTMEDIA MATERIALS IN GHANA:
A CASE STUDY OF MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND MEDIA RELATIONS
BY
PROSPER EDEM HORMEKU
(10145404)
A DISSERTATION SUBMITED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION
STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE
AWARD OF THE MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN INFORMATION STUDIES
JANUARY, 2016
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DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this work is the result of my own research, except for references to
other people’s works which have been duly acknowledged, and that it has never been
presented in part or whole elsewhere for another degree.
……………………………………….. …………………………….
MR. PROSPER EDEM HORMEKU DR. MUSAH ADAMS
(STUDENT) (SUPERVISOR)
DATE:……………………………. DATE:……………………….
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DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to the entire Hormeku family. This wonderful family has been
supportive throughout my schooling. God richly bless them for their love and care for
me. By way of recognition and love this scholarly work is also dedicated to Mr. Wisdom
Afornorpe, Mr. Wisdom Hormeku, Mr. Francis Gbormittah and Mr.
GodknownsLumor, Mr. Samuel Aryee, Mr. Albert Eshun, Mr. Ebo Sackey and Mr.
Gideon Botsyoe. I am very thankful for the pieces of advice you gave to me.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am very grateful to the Almighty God for the protection and good health granted me
throughout the course. Had it not been His mercy and love I would not have completed
this work. God I thank you.
A heartfelt gratitude goes to my supervisor Dr. Musah Adams for his patience and
guidance who painstakingly and skillfully supervised this work. When life became a
desperate struggle and I started encountering problems, you agreed to supervise this
research work. I thank you very much.
Another personality who actually laid the foundation for this work and provided
almost all the necessary materials is Professor Harry Akussah. Prof I say thank you.
The next thank goes to all the three Unit Heads, the three archivists in the Information
Service Department (ISD) and the staff for their cooperation and understanding. God
richly bless you all. I also thank Dr. Perpetua Dadzie, former Head of Department for
her patience and understanding my situation when I started encountering problems
with this work.
Finally, I take full responsibility for any weakness, errors, omissions and
misinterpretations in this work.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION.......................................................................................................................................... i
DEDICATION............................................................................................................................................. ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ......................................................................................................................... iii
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................ vi
CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background of the Study .............................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................. 6
1.3 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................................... 7
1.4 Objectives of the Study ................................................................................................................. 8
1.5 Research Questions ....................................................................................................................... 8
1.6 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................................ 9
1.7 Scope and Limitations of the Study ........................................................................................... 10
1.8 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................................ 10
1.9 Organization of the Study .......................................................................................................... 11
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... 12
CHAPTER TWO ...................................................................................................................................... 13
LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................................... 13
2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 13
2.2 History of Multimedia (Audio visual) Materials ...................................................................... 14
2.3 Concept and Definition of Multimedia Resources ................................................................... 14
2.4 Importance of Multimedia Resources ....................................................................................... 16
2.5 Types of Multimedia (Audiovisual) Materials .......................................................................... 17
2.6 Preservation of Multimedia Materials ...................................................................................... 20
2.7 Use and Retrieval of Multimedia Resources ............................................................................. 27
2.8 Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 28
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... 29
CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................. 35
METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................... 35
3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 35
3.2 Research Design .......................................................................................................................... 36
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3.3 Population .................................................................................................................................... 36
3.4 Sample Size .................................................................................................................................. 37
3.5 Sampling Technique ................................................................................................................... 38
3.6 Instrumentation ........................................................................................................................... 38
3.7 Mode of Data Collection ............................................................................................................. 41
3.8 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 41
3.9 Ethical Considerations ................................................................................................................ 42
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... 43
CHAPTER FOUR ..................................................................................................................................... 45
PRESENTATION OF DATA, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS .............. 45
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 45
4.2 Preservation policy ...................................................................................................................... 45
4.3 Environmental Conditions under Which the ISD Preserves Its Multimedia Materials ....... 46
4.4 Determining How Multimedia Records Were Processed, Stored and Protected .................. 49
4.5 Technology for Preserving Multimedia Materials ................................................................... 52
4.6 Preservation method used for multimedia materials ............................................................... 53
4.7 Skills of staff to meet new technological change ....................................................................... 54
4.8 Staff Training .............................................................................................................................. 54
4. 9 Challenges of Preserving Multimedia Materials ..................................................................... 56
4.10 Film Preservation ...................................................................................................................... 58
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... 60
CHAPTER FIVE ...................................................................................................................................... 63
SUMMARY OF FINGINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................. 63
5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 63
5.2 Summary of Findings.................................................................................................................. 63
5.3 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 66
5.4 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 66
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................. 68
APPENDIX 1 ............................................................................................................................................. 76
INTERVIEW GUIDE ........................................................................................................................... 76
APPENDIX 2 ............................................................................................................................................. 78
OBSERVATION CHECKLIST .......................................................................................................... 78
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ABSTRACT
This study dealt with preservation of multimedia materials as part of modern electronic
revolution that is changing the way we exchange information. The Ministry of
Information and Media Relations specifically Information Services Department (ISD)
was selected for the study. This is because the ISD holds collection of valuable
Information resources for Ghana. The preservation of multimedia resources is very vital
for safeguarding information for posterity.
The study was necessitated by what the researcher observed at the ISD upon several
visits. It was revealed that important pre-colonial and post-colonial and even current
multimedia materials have been left to decay or rot and the storage facility was not in
proper condition. Accessibility to this historical information by researchers, students
and the general public was not easy. As a result, the ISD is actually losing Ghana’s
historical heritage and the new generation would have no information about their
identity.
The case study method was used for this research. A review of pertinent literature and
data obtained through interviews and observation formed the basis of this study.
The study found out that the problems at ISD ranged from funds, space, policy,
logistics, and storage conditions.
The study recommended that the ISD with the assistance of PRAAD should formulate a
multimedia material preservation policy as provided under the PRAAD Act of 1997.
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
In today's advanced and technology adapted society, the concept of multimedia is ever present in
many facets of life. Multimedia is part of modern electronic revolution that is changing the way
we give and receive information. Multimedia can be termed as the use of several different type
of media (e.g. text, audio, graphics, animation, video and interactivity) to convey information.
Furthermore, it is important to recognize that multimedia involves the use of computers to
present text, graphics, video, animation and sound in an integrated way (Wright, Miller and
Addis,2009).
Multimedia includes a range of formats from a simple PowerPoint to a complex interactive
simulation (Learning Circuits) and in most cases is believed to enhance user experience and
result in easier and faster understanding of the information presented. The concept of presenting
information in various formats is not a new phenomenon, however when reviewing this concept
in terms of multimedia it generally implies presenting information in various ‘digital’ formats for
preservation access to information (Wright, Miller and Addis,2009).
To Akussah (2011) the introduction of information communication technologies has brought
about different formats and media of documentation, storage and two major issues are
fundamental in this regard. For the first time, these technologies have also brought to the fore the
life-span of most of these media as either too short or hardly known. Secondly, the high turnover
of these technologies have made obsolescence of media and equipment one of the headaches for
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preservations, especially in ensuring long term access to the intellectual contents of machine
dependent-documents. This situation has triggered research into digital preservation of
documents stored in multi-media formats.
According to Akussah (2011), preservation of information resources can simply be defined as
activities associated with maintaining and keeping documentary materials away from
destruction, to sustain their life span or actions taken to ensure the longevity of these materials
either in their original physical form or in some other usable way. The process of preservation is
very important in the whole operation of information management and its basic objective is to
prolong the usable life of information resources whilst ensuring long-term access to them.
Akussah (2003) has observed that, the last quarter of the twentieth century has produced an
accumulation of documents generated by computers and stored in electronic form, other than the
traditional paper format.These categories of documentation gradually and ultimately find its way
into the archives for preservation. The fundamental requirements for archiving multimedia
materials are not very different from the requirement for such media as paper and microfilm.
However, the multimedia materials are fragile and delicate and for these reasons their
preservation demands more stringent attention. The nature of multimedia materials makes it a
complex and difficult media to archive. Among others, frequent change of technology makes it
easy for multimedia materials to be created, communicated, discussed, revoked and finally
deleted within few seconds.
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The preservation environment will need to incorporate new types of storage systems, new
protocols for accessing data, new data-encoding formats, and new standards for characterizing
provenance. Thus a major challenge that confronts preservation is how to incorporate new
technology effectively, while conserving preservation properties such as authenticity, integrity,
and chain of custody. Technology provides the required ability to incorporate new technology,
without compromising the preservation environment properties, through the concept of
infrastructure independence (Moore, 2008).
According to Ametefe (2008), the importance of multimedia covers every aspect of life. For
example, multimedia can stand for interactive types of media such as videos, games, CD ROMs
that teach a foreign language, or information. Another useful form of multimedia is television
that presents information using more than one medium as a tool for presenting audio-visual
information. In the field of research, multimedia materials can aid research, planning and organizational
skills. Many students can now access multimedia information such as electronic books, journals,
databases and other materials for their research work at any time, night or day without physically
present at the traditional library. Multimedia can be as simple as a newspaper, (combination of
text and still image).
1.1.1 Ministry of Information and Media Relations (MIMR)
The Ministry of Information and Media Relations (MIMR) has existed under different names
since independence in 1957. It has metamorphosed from being the Ministry of Information and
Culture, Ministry of Information and Tourism, Public Relation Secretariat, Ministry of
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Communication, Ministry of Media Relations, Ministry of Information and National Orientation
and currently its new name; Ministry of Information and Media Relations.
The Ministry exists to facilitate a two-way free flow of timely and reliable information and
feedback between the government and its various publics. It is also to assist in the development,
co-ordination of policy; to monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes and
activities by its sector agencies. The Ministry’s modus operandi include, organising regular
weekly interactions with the media on various issues on government programmes and producing
various audio-visual documentaries for public education and outreach programmes (Ministry of
Information and Media Relations, 2013).
When the portal www.ghana.gov.gh was established in 2002, the Ministry assumed additional
responsibility by discharging its traditional functions electronically through the provision of
information and other public services through the Internet. The facility has proven to be one
effective communication tool to disseminate government's information to the public and to get
feedback to provide the way forward in national development.
1.1.2 Information Service Department (ISD)
The Information Service Department (ISD) has been contributing tremendously to the
dissemination of information through the use of multimedia materials such as visual, audio, print
and face-to-face interaction. The ISD also uses drama, films and talk shows on the ubiquitous
cinema vans which criss-cross the whole country and is determined to do more for the country
with the advent of information communication technology (ICT).
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The ISD is the major and only operational department of the Ministry that manage multimedia
resources. The department serves as government’s major public relations organization both
locally and abroad. It is also mandated to create awareness of government policies, programmes
and activities. The department is also empowered to get feedback from the public to government
for public reinforcement or redirection.
The Information Service Department (ISD) has three units; Photo, Audio Visual and Film Units
respectively. The department was established to produce feature films, documentaries, drama and
newsreels to educate Ghanaians about government policies in towns and villages nationwide
with mobile van. The total staff at the ISD is sixty. Each unit has its own Unit Head and three
professional archivists from each unit. Even though, these units are separated in terms of their
job functions, they work together as a team to achieve a common goal.
During the pre-colonial and post-colonial era, a lot of historical activities took place in Ghana.
Most of these activities have led to the generation of records in many forms of multimedia
resources such as speech of heads of states, bilateral agreements, commission of enquires and
independence day speeches of Dr. Nkrumah. Furthermore, various forms of constitutions (such
as Clifford, Guggisberg, Alan Burns, Coussey, Arden Clack), have all been produced. All these
information have been captured on celluloid and video tape (multimedia materials). The paper
based version of these historical and vital information or records have been kept by the Public
Records and Archive Administration Department (PRAAD). However, this study is focused on
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how ISD preserves multimedia resources which PRAAD does not currently have the capacity in
its archival holdings.
This vital information could serve as the flashpoint for lively debates on social values, cultural
identities, historical facts and institutional accountability. Multimedia materials are the memory
of a nation because they are supposed to remind the citizens about their past because as human
beings it is possible to forget information about our cultural identity. Multimedia documents
represent enormous power over memory and identity, and it is not a passive store house of old
stuff, but active sites where social power is negotiated, contested and confirmed. At times
governments use these collections for their political propaganda works to achieve their ambitions
(Ministry of Information and Media Relations, 2013).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The proliferation of tools for generating multimedia materials has seen the emergence of the idea
that one day we may all be working in ‘paperless’ offices. While there is still no sign of a
reduction in the mountains of paper that are daily generated in day-to-day business activities,
there can be no doubt that the exponential growth in the quantity and variety of electronic
information will continue for the foreseeable future. The problem is that organisations and
individuals are increasingly transacting business electronically. Records which are the archives
of tomorrow are being created and kept in electronic form. Multimedia materials are fragile and
hardware and software becomes rapidly obsolete, presenting challenges and requiring more
proactive intervention in the life of the materials and the systems that generate them. In short,
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access to digital information requires hardware and software as technology changes therefore
creating potential barriers to re-use.
The advantages of digital technology are well known and its adoption by archivists seems
inevitable, inexorable and well-motivated. Yet the fact remains that several key issues
concerning the long term preservation of digital materials remain unsolved.
A visit to the Information Service Department (ISD) revealed that important pre-colonial and
post-colonial and even current multimedia materials both local and foreign have been left to
decay or rot and the storage facility is not in proper condition. Accessibility to this historical
information by researchers, students and the public is not easy. Multimedia resources have been
kept in a room with no air conditioning. As a result, the ISD is actually losing Ghana’s historical
heritage and the new generation will have no information about their identity. The Department
links the administration and the media. It therefore tries to enhance the public understanding of
government policies, decisions and activities. It is therefore relevant to preserve multimedia
materials in ISD to keep Ghana’s heritage. These were the major reasons why the researcher
wants to embark on this study to find out suitable ways of preserving these multimedia resources.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to examine how staff of Information Services Department (ISD)
preserved multimedia materials with the view to identifying possible problems and making
recommendations for the enhancement of the preservation methods in place.
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1.4 Objectives of the Study
The specific objectives of the study were:
• To find out the environmental conditions under which ISD preserved its
multimedia resources.
• To determine how multimedia resources are processed, stored and protected.
• To find out the kind of technology in place for the preservation of materials.
• To assess the methods the staff use to preserve multimedia materials in ISD.
• To find out whether the staff have skills to meet new technological changes.
• To make recommendations based on the findings of the study to improve the
management of multimedia materials in the custody of ISD.
1.5 Research Questions
The following research questions guided the researcher during collection of data.
• What were the environmental conditions in place for the preservation of
multimedia materials at ISD?
• How were multimedia resources processed, stored and protected at ISD?
• What kind of technology was used for the preservation of multimedia materials in
the ISD?
• What were the methods used by the staff to preserve multimedia resources?
• How skilled were the staff to meet new technological changes?
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1.6 Theoretical Framework
A theoretical framework is a collection of theories and models from literature which underpins a
research study. It is a fundamental part of research as it explains the research questions. A theory
refers to a set of interrelated constructs of variables, definitions and propositions that presents a
systematic outlook of a problem by specifying relations among variables with the purpose of
explaining natural phenomenon. Theories are answers to questions about why people behave the
way they do in a particular social context, and how social life is organized in the way it is.
1.6.1 Preservation Research
Research in the field of preservation primarily depends on social science and humanistic research
methodologies. According to Cloonan (2001), a research on preservation focuses more on
preventive or management issues and mostly undertaken by librarians and archivists. There are a
number of theoretical frameworks in the field of preservation. According to literature,
preservation research can be divided into the following five broad areas. Management of
programme, reformatting or transfer technology, the storage environment and disaster recovery,
historical and bibliographical studies and general policy issues.
1.6.2 Management of Programmes
This study adopts the management of programmes theoretical framework. According to Akussah
(2003), preservation research in this area is often practically oriented. It focuses basically on the
functions of preservation programmes such as: collection management, designing of user
programmes, policies, planning models, surveys: local, national and international programmes
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etc. The end results of research in these aspects of preservation aims at improving the overall
managerial capabilities of institutional preservation.
Smith and Schirling (2006) in a similar study on preservation of electronic records stated that
codes, encryptions, pass word, PDF and other forms are used as preventive measures that
prevents users from deleting vital information. Multimedia materials are fragile and hardware
and software becomes rapidly obsolete, presenting challenges and requiring more proactive
intervention in the life of the materials and the systems that generate them. This type of
preservation aims at improving the overall managerial capabilities of the ministry.
1.7 Scope and Limitations of the Study
The study was confined to the Information Service Department (ISD) of the Ministry and the
focus was on preservation of multimedia materials. The ISD was selected because it was the
major operational department of the Ministry that deals in multimedia materials. The Department
serves as government’s major public relations organization both locally and internationally. It
was also mandated to create awareness of government policies, programmes and activities.
1.8 Significance of the Study
This study would be relevant to the Information Services Department as it revealed the various
ways in which multimedia materials could be preserved to address any irregularity so as to
ensure the longevity of the materials. This study would also be helpful to policy makers. This
study would also be useful to other media organisations, as the study revealed issues concerning
good preservation methods of resources and information services. Also the study would serve as
a platform to encourage organisations to engage with each other and to express and share
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information on the importance of preservation of vital records. Finally, the study would add to
the body of knowledge in the field of preservation.
1.9 Organization of the Study
The study was organized in five chapters as follows;
Chapter one: This chapter dealt with the introduction which consists of background to the study,
statement of the problem, purpose of the study, objectives of the study, conceptual framework,
the significance of the study and chapter organization.
Chapter two: This chapter covered the literature review and covered the literature on specific
areas related to the topic under study.
Chapter three: This chapter dealt with the methodology used for the study.
Chapter four: This chapter covered the analysis and presentation of the data collected and
discussions of the findings.
Chapter five: This chapter provided the summary of findings, conclusion, and recommendations
based on the outcome of the research.
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REFERENCES
Akussah, H. (2011).Preservation of Documents. Accra: NAB Superior Services.
Akussah, H. (2003). Preservation of Documentary Heritage in Ghana. ‘The National Archives of
Ghana in Focus’: Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Information Studies,
University of Ghana, Legon.
Ametefe, J.M. (2008). Introduction to Information and Communication Technology. Accra: Jay
Publications Limited.
Cloonan, M. V. (2001). Whither Preservation. Library Quarterly, 71 (2): 231-242.
Ministry of Information and Media Relations. Retrieved on 02/06/2014from
http.www.ghana.gov.gh
Moore, R. (2008). "Towards a Theory of Digital Preservation.” International Journal of
DigitalCuration3,no.1.Retrievedon14/11/2013
From http://www.ijdc.net/index.php/ijdc/article/vie/63
Smith, J. and Schirling, P.(2006). Metadata Standards Roundup. IEEEMultimedia, 13(2): pp.
84–88.
Wright, R., Miller, A. and Addis, M. (2009)."The Significance of Storage in the 'Cost of Risk'
DigitalPreservation."InternationalJournalofDigital4,no.3(2009).http://www.ijdc.net/inde
x.php/ijdc/article/view/138
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CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
This chapter presents a review of related literature on preservation of multimedia materials.
Review of related literature is an organized presentation of what has been published on the topic.
The purpose of a literature review is to convey to the reader what is currently known regarding
the topic of interest. It traces out the critical points of existing knowledge. Its main aim is to
bring the researcher to the nascent information with current literature on the topic of interest and
forms the basis for another goal, such as the justification for future research in the area. The
purpose of the literature review may be many folds but usually it is the first step in the process of
doing scientific research. The researcher has searched a lot of literature and reviewed only those
studies, which are directly or indirectly related to the study. The review was outlined under the
following thematic areas:
• History of multimedia materials
• Concept and Definition of Multimedia Resources
• Importance of Multimedia Resources
• Types of multimedia (Audio visual) materials
• Preservation of Multimedia Materials
• Use and Retrieval of Multimedia Resources
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2.2 History of Multimedia (Audio visual) Materials
The invention of motion picture photography in 1826 launched a series of discoveries. One
person should not be credited with its invention. After several decades, inventors working
independently in many countries had developed several tools (film and video cameras) to
produce motion pictures. In 1878, Eadweard Muybridge, an American photography, did make a
series of motion pictures of a running horse by using glass plate film. Also, in 1882, Eitienne-
Jules Marey, a French man and a scientist, invented a motion picture camera that recorded
twelve separate images on the edge of a revolving disc of film. Later, in 1889, KODAK
introduced a crude flexible film base known as celluloid (which still forms the base of film stock
today). By 1893, Thomas Edision and his assistant developed a camera that produced short thirty
five millimetre films (celluloid). It is important to note that motion pictures or film did not
emerge as mass consumption; however, it came into being as a form of a Pee-Show-Box called
the Kinetoscope designed by Thomas Edision which permitted only one person to view a short
fifty-foot (50- foot) film at a time for twenty-five cents. By 1905, Lumiere Brothers, Louis and
August projected some films in Paris (Gbande, 1996).
2.3 Concept and Definition of Multimedia Resources
Audio visual media in the form of television and video is known to have been used in many
developing countries to provide development support information to rural and remote
communities. Literature indicates that in most cases, these media helped to overcome
communication barriers in non-literate societies and as a result achieved dramatic change in the
life of the rural folks (Aduko, 2007).
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The advent of computer assisted instruction has emphasized the primary function of audio/visual
resources, which is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of information dissemination.
Principal among these as put out by Jorgensen and Jorgensen (2005) is how to move the citizenry
from the rank of dreamers to that of achievers, transforming the socio-political country called
Nigeria from being a mere geographical expression into a real nation.
Multimedia can include a range of formats from a simple PowerPoint to a complex interactive
simulation (Learning Circuits) and in most cases is believed to enhance user experience and
result in easier and faster understanding of the information presented. The concept of presenting
information in various formats is not a new phenomenon, however when reviewing this concept
in terms of multimedia it generally implies presenting information in various ‘digital’ formats for
preservation access to information (Wright, Millar and Addis, 2009).
Barmer(2012) defined multimedia material or audiovisual as a means of possessing both a sound
and a visual component, such as slide-tape presentations, films, televisionprogrammes, church
services and live theater productions. According to Nyahe (2001), the word “Audiovisual”
consists of two Latin words “audio” which is derived from “audire” to hear and “visual”, from
visus- seeing or sight. Audio means the various means of recording and transmitting the human
voice and other voices and other sounds for instructional purposes.
The American Heritage (2000) defines audiovisual as both audible and visible. The American
Heritage further described audiovisuals as materials, such as films and tape recordings that
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present information in audible and pictorial form: a corporation's audio-visual department. An
aid, other than printed matter, that uses sight or sound to present information.
Many professionals in the field of audio visual preservation such as Edmondson has also defined
multimedia materials differently to reflect his point of view on this important subject. According
to Edmondson (2004) audio visual includes moving images such as films and electronic data,
audio-slide shows, still photography and graphics as well as video games. Edmondson (2004)
has further explained that audio visual ranges from filmstrip, microfilms, magnetic
tapes,kinetoscope, videograms and any optical readable laser disc.
2.4 Importance of Multimedia Resources
According to Kosch et al (2005), multimedia materials have the potential to improve
dramatically information transfer process in libraries. In spite of a growing diversity of media
types in this century, the collections of most libraries remain predominately print based. Print is a
powerful medium that has a major impact on the development of our highly technological
civilization. However, like all types of media, it has both strengths and weaknesses. Primarily,
the weakness of print is its use of a single sensory channel, reliance on a fixed, linear sequence of
presentation, lack of interactivity, absence of built-in editing tools to create new intellectual
works and restriction to single-user mode only (Kosch et al, 2005).
Döller and Coquil (2013) opined that multimedia resources can provide the user with a
multisensory, nonlinear, highly interactive, edit-oriented, multiuser environment. To some
degree, the reluctance of organisations to embrace traditional media materials reflects the fact
that these materials come in a number of different formats, each requiring a different kind of
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equipment. To Stegmaier et al (2010) multimedia computer systems can provide unified access
to diverse types of media information via a single delivery mechanism. Multimedia computer
systems also can significantly increase the communication potential of media materials by
relating them to each other in totally new ways.
Within African societies, many multimedia materials especially music, photographs and films
are useful for the transmission of culture. As cultural norms and values are constantly changing,
one of the best ways of looking at the past is through the use of multimedia materials. The other
way in which multimedia materials have been found to be very useful is in the study of history.
Photographs and films as well as audio recordings of major historical events have been captured
in multimedia formats (Setshwane, 2004).
2.5 Types of Multimedia (Audiovisual) Materials
There exist numerous audiovisual materials that the Information Service Department creates
during its daily activities in meeting the communication and information needs of the people.
These audio visuals may be classified into two audio visual and multisensory materials.
According to Agbe (2007), audio materials are radio and text and pictures among others. Visual
materials include filmstrips, pictures, transparencies, while the multisensory materials include
the television, the video and the computer.
2.5.1 Radio
The ISD disseminates information to the general public and by so doing creates audio visual
materials. According to Doh (1998), one of the most important components of radio is sound,
whether it is in theform of music, narration to accompany text or to explain content or special
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sound effects to enhance the action being displayed on the screen. The most common type of
sound files incorporated into a multimedia application is “digital audio”, which is created by
converting analogue sound (sound from microphone, a synthesizer, existing tape recordings, live
radio and television broadcasts, popular CDs, etc.) using an analogue-to-digital converter. To
play back this signal the computer’s sound card translates the digital information back into
analogue sound using a digital-to-analogue converter.
Doh (1998) has further stated that radio acts as a facilitator to guide people’s understanding of
issues being discussed. The sounds are said to involve people emotionally, adding desirable
effective tones to learning and listening habits. The ISD as a disseminator broadcasts news and
other important information through the radio. Nyahe (2001) contended that radio is used to
send words, music, codes and other signals worldwide. It is mainly used for broadcasting and
also very useful for educating the general public on vital issues such as Ebola virus for
precaution measures to be taken by the citizenry.
2.5.2 Television (TV)
Television is an electronic device which transmits broadcast activities or programmes with
motion pictures and sound. The TV maybe black and white or colour but can provide the same
information for its viewers. Television provides education, entertainment and information to the
general public therefore it has the ability to stimulate both senses of sight and hearing and this
makes the TV, the most powerful multimedia material. The establishment of TV stations in
Ghana such as Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Metro TV, TV3, TV Africa and others
has provided opportunity for Ghanaians to watch TV programs in different languages. GBC was
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set up in 1956, by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to produce local programmes such as Akan drama
(Osofodadzie, Kantata, Obra), show case in Ewe like Dzigbordi Cultral Troupe, adult education
and Thursday Theater have helped educate many people in Ghana. According to Coder (1993),
the ability of television allows its viewers to see the live coverage of programmes that gives it a
sense of reality.
2.5.3 Film and Video
The production of motion pictures involve a combination of a wide range of craft and science
whether the images are to be shown in a cinema theater, on a television or through other audio
visual medium. In addition, film and video are both recording media that is multimedia material
(audio visual). Video record visual images and audio together on a magnetic tape while, film
record optical images and sound separately. The usage of film has been in existence for a longer
time before any medium such as multimedia. Before video arrived, the most effective medium
used to inform, educate, entertain and communicate to Ghanaians nationwide was the mobile
cinema van. The Information Service Department (ISD) used the mobile cinema van to
disseminate information to rural communities on issues like agriculture, health, sanitation, family
planning and community development (Ministry of Information, 2013). The fact remains that
film is very expensive to produce and also more expensive to preserve. However, video
production is less expensive in both recording and preservation. This new technology is therefore
being used more often to propagate information than film (Edgar, 1981).
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2.6 Preservation of Multimedia Materials
Organisations have always struggled against the physical destruction of their collections. Fires,
floods, earthquakes, and wars have damaged the holdings of countless libraries, destroying
forever much of the recorded history of human civilization (Schüller, 2008).Today, the greatest
part of the multimedia heritage comprises products of the entertainment industry and of the so-
called electronic mass media, radio and television. However, those who invented sound
recording and cinematography had neither the music nor the film industry in mind when they
developed methods to capture sound and moving images. It was the scientific interest in the
nature of acoustical phenomena, specifically in the physics of the human speech that triggered
sound recording. On the other hand, the interest in understanding movement to a level of detail
that could not be analysed with the blank eye stimulated the development of film. Only a few
years after their development, however, these new technologies became the backbone of
commercially highly successful entertainment industries (Schüller, 2008).
Akussah (2003), defines preservation as activities associated with maintaining and keeping
documentary materials away from destruction, to sustain their lifespan or actions taken to ensure
the longevity of these materials either in their original physical form or in some other usable
way. The process of preservation is very important in the whole operation of information
management and its basic objective is to prolong the usable life of information resources whilst
ensuring long-term access to them. Akussah (2003), further explained preservation as a branch of
library, archive and information science concerned with maintaining or restoring access to
artefacts, documents, multimedia resources and records through the study, diagnosis, treatment
and preservation of decay and damage. Preservation of information resources embraces series of
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activities associated with maintaining and keeping documentary materials away from destruction
in order to sustain their lifespan. It also deals with all actions that will ensure the longevity of
these materials either in their original physical state or in some other usable form.
Many scholars such as Akussah (2003), Ngulube and Magazi (2006) have defined preservation
differently to reflect their point of view or perception on this branch of library and archival
studies. Preservation is a crucial element in the whole operation of information material
programme management. The major objective of preservation is to prolong the lifespan of useful
information. According to Swartzburg (1983), preservation is the maintenance of objects in their
original condition through retention, proper care and if the object is damaged, restoration.
Preservation is the generic term, and includes all activities associated with the maintenance of
resources and the preservation of information content. This is in contrast with conservation,
which refers to the physical items themselves in order to extend their usable life (and restoration,
which refers to treating damaged material to bring it to its near original condition).
Ngulube and Magazi (2006) defined preservation as a long-term access to information of value.
By this definition, they are referring to both physical access and intellectual access. Physical
access means that the materials are intact and in good state while intellectual access refers to
facilitating the exploitation or use of its contents. According to Harvey (1994), preservation
includes those specific policies and practices involved in protecting library and archive materials
from deterioration, damage and decay, including the methods and techniques devised by
technical staff.
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New technologies have come to change the face of multimedia resources. According to Bradley
(2007), the situation completely changed for audio from the mid-1950s onward, when
transistorised and easily portable tape recorders became available that were able to produce
sound recordings of good to excellent quality everywhere in the world. Since then, researchers
equipped themselves with portable tape recorders and, later with inexpensive cassette recorders.
He further stated that documents on film were expensive to produce and preserve. Until the late
1970s, when portable video home equipment opened new horizons for studies relying on moving
image documents (Bradley, 2007). Musicology, dance research, or the documentation of
traditional handicrafts and pre-industrial technology, greatly profited from video recordings. It
should be emphasised that present day knowledge of the linguistic and cultural diversity is
mainly based on multimedia documents, in their greatest part accumulated over past 50 years. In
a world of accelerated globalisation, the significance of these documents reaches far beyond the
mere academic world.
If the easy and inexpensive availability of audio visual recording equipment supported the
production of audio visual research documents, it also created part of the problems being faced
today. Only a smaller part of audiovisual research documents find their way to professional
repositories, while the greater part is held by research institutions under sub-optimal preservation
conditions, or still rests in the drawers of the researchers that have produced these resources
which they use for their publications (Boston, 1998).This system of relative disorganization has
worked reasonably well for the analogue formats, because to date, due to their relative physical
and chemical robustness, the original carriers have more or less survived. Replay equipment is
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still around and works somehow, which makes originals accessible, if necessary (Breen, et al,
2003).
However, over the past 10 years, the situation has changed dramatically. Digital technology has
conquered audiovisual production, post-processing, and archiving. Audio has totally become part
of the IT world, and video is about to follow the same way. The pace at which audio and video
formats are becoming obsolete is breathtaking. The problem is not so much the survival of the
original documents, but the availability of highly specialized replay equipment which disappears
from the market soon after a format has been abandoned commercially. Today, audiovisual
archives associations estimate the time window still open for the transfer of dedicated analogue
and digital carriers into digital repositories to be not more than 20 years (Breen et al, 2003)
Breen (2003) explained further that, one of the notorious gaps in the field of multimedia
preservation is an estimation of the total amount of materials stored in collections worldwide
based on counts or at least serious estimations. Over the past years, the number of 100 million
hours audio and 100 million hours video was frequently quoted from various sides. Agbe (2007)
however, unveils that beyond materials held in audiovisual collections (in a narrower sense), an
additional 50% is held in collections which may generally be subsumed under research or
cultural collection. However, many of these holdings are products of the audiovisual recording
industry and copies of radio and television broadcasts, hence duplicates, the preservation of
which would not be the responsibility of their holders. The amount of unique research materials,
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representing primary source materials of the linguistic and cultural heritage of mankind, remains
unclear on the basis of the figures available.
Preservation does not simply happen on its own rather a well thought out plan must be drawn
and managed. According to Barmer (2012), the fifth Law of Library Science stated that a
“Library is a growing organism”. Libraries acquire materials of all kinds continuously, and
promote the use of these acquired materials. Hence, more and more number of users want to
access these materials. As more and more number of users use these materials, they are more
likely to be damaged. To prevent this deterioration of materials which may affect the further
retrieval of the contents, there is the need to adopt an array of appropriate management
strategies.
According to Barmer (2012), modern libraries maintain collections that include not only printed
materials such as books, periodicals, newspapers, and magazines, but also art reproductions,
films, sound and video recordings, maps, photographs, microfiches, microfilms, CD-ROMs,
computer software, online databases, and other media. In addition to maintaining collections
within library buildings, modern libraries often feature telecommunication links that provide
users with access to information at remote sites.
Barmer (2012) further contended that the basic objective of a library is to collect, organize,
preserve, and provide access to knowledge and information. In fulfilling this objective, libraries
preserve a valuable record of culture that can be passed down to succeeding generations.
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Libraries are an essential link in this communication between the past, present, and future.
Whether the cultural record is contained in books or in electronic formats, libraries ensure that
the record is preserved and made available for later use.
Byamugisha (2010) suggested that adapting to new digital technology is vital for success in
preservation of multimedia resources. Information about indigenous culture takes many guises:
oral history in the form of narration and interviews; artifacts in the form of images and
descriptions; songs in the form of audio recordings, music transcriptions, and lyrics, dances and
ceremonies in the form of video, audio, written synopses, and interpretations. Multimedia
resources allow such information to be integrated, recorded, browsed, and searched, within a
uniform user interface. For example, Sreenivasulu (2008) reported that multimedia institutional
repositories are very important to every nation. The resource centre of Nigeria Institute of Film
and Television (NIFT) has rich collection of print and non-print materials such as books, slides,
VHS tapes, journals, reports etc. It contains 4882 slides and 252 VHS tapes, but it is very
difficult to view it because it requires a slide projector and VCR player. Sreenivasulu (2008)
further explained that multimedia resources are stored on CD/DVD for preservation.
Malkin (2006) reported that the Baltic Library and Archive, England have a detailed preservation
strategy. About 80 percent of collection is digital, the remaining 20 percent of the collection in
different formats is being digitized. The Cassette tape collection has been digitized and disks are
converted into the right format. These were converted again to MPEG-4 or MP3 for use on the
database and are stored as uncompressed data on both DVDs and external hard discs .Shukla and
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Chaturvedi (2004) reported that a multimedia system is a new information technology product
that is modern information storage and communication devices and this solves the brittle books
problem that dominates the preservation issues.
Rajendran&Yesudoss (2003) advocated that the multimedia resources such as educational video
programmes must be preserved for future use. At present the Information Service department has
all these available in a videotape formats (Video Home Services). Over a period of time, these
videotapes are spoiled due to repeated viewing forming of dust, fungus etc. and the output of
audio and video will not be visible and clear. Rajendran &Yesudoss (2003) further stated that to
preserve these analogues format videotapes, they must be converted into digital format and
stored in CDs or DVDs. CDs and DVDs have a shelf life of more than 100 years and occupy
very little space as compared to VHS tapes. These CDs/DVDs can be played by using VCD
player or computer with CD-ROM device.
Sahn (2003) noted in an article that preserving multimedia materials help protect photographs,
slide collection, postcards, exhibitions etc. The video collection from analogue formats to DVDs
in order to play via the server makes the access to the records better for preservation. Ashcroft
(1993) explained the method of arrangement of the slides and photographs for preservation.
Ashcroft contended that in order to preserve these, slides and photographs must be labeled and
put in envelopes. Within the filing cabinets, suspension files must be used to hold the
photographs and slide pocket files to hold the slides. Slide pocket files must be A4 in size,
coming with their own suspension brackets like suspension files and they must be clear with
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twenty punched pockets to hold 35mm slides. Photographs must be stored within ordinary
envelopes.
2.7 Use and Retrieval of Multimedia Resources
Arisona (2010) stated that a user survey in the Department of Music in the Hong-Kong Baptist
University library and through questionnaire discovered that participants used multimedia
materials more frequently than other types of library materials. Arisona’s (2010) study found that
over 56 percent of all participants used multimedia materials weekly or monthly .Multimedia
materials are considered very important by most of the bachelor students while most of the
masters or post graduate students on the other hand believed that e-journals, databases, books
and online music listening are very important to their academic and performance needs. It is
clear from the survey results that multimedia collections would require future enhancements.
Jorgenson and Jorgenson (2005) have noted that image retrieval by researchers have ignored
several fundamental user issues, including the differences between text and image retrieval.
These user issues are especially germane with respect to image searching.
Othman (2005) developed a model of image retrieval tasks in the area of creative multimedia. A
survey was conducted to compile 35 image retrieval tasks. The findings of the study reveals that
images are mostly intended for analysis, decoration, design, illustrations, image processing and
inspiration. The study also found that technical attributes, topicality and completeness are the
most important relevance criteria. Technical attributes criteria include resolution, size, colour,
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and dimensions. Users’ keywords are of abstract and concrete elements and expressed in a visual
way and as a subject. The study shows that out of 35 tasks, 33 tasks are relevant. Kar (2001)
expressed his opinion that multimedia-based user orientation programmes can educate or instruct
the user on how to retrieve and techniques to be used.
2.8 Summary
In conclusion, this chapter has carefully highlighted some areas on the history of multimedia
materials and its development over the decades. The importance of multimedia to a nation,
especially in the study of history has been also addressed. Additionally, the chapter reviewed the
types of multimedia resources: Radio, video and television and the opportunities they have
presented to ISD and Ghanaians at large. And, the fact of using these multimedia resources to
disseminate information in Ghana need to be preserved properly. The bottlenecks that confront
the preservation of multimedia materials in the ISD have been highlighted.
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Aduko, V. A. (2007). The role of Audiovisual Media in the dissemination of Information on the
HIV/AIDS by Action Aid International Ghana in the Bongo District of the Upper East
Region. MA dissertation, University of Ghana Legon.
Agbe, E. K. (2007). The role of Audiovisuals in meeting communication and information needs
of rural communities of cocoa growing areas in Ghana: a case study of Suhum-Kraboa-
Coaltar district of Eastern Region. M.A dissertation, Information Studies, University iof
Ghana, Legon.
Akussah, H. (2003). Preservation of Documentary Heritage in Ghana.“The National Archivesof
Ghana in Focus”. Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Information Studies,
University of Ghana, Legon.
Al-Essawi, M. H. K. and Nthuli, E. M. (2007). Accentuating Border Conflicts and Water
Privatization: The Southern African Development Community. Journal of Applied
Sciences, 7(2): pp. 536-540
Arisona, S.M. (2010). Designing and Implementing Computer-based Methods to Support
Urban Design and Planning. Digital Art Weeks Xi’an 2010, Keynote Address at the
Research Symposium on Future Cities. Xi’an, China.
Ashcroft, L. S. (1993). Establishing a slide and photograph library. Library Management, 14
(7): pp. 36-39.
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Barmer, K. (2012).The Library is a Growing Organism: Ranganathan's Fifth Law of Library
Science and the Academic Library in the Digital Era.Library Philosophy and Practice e-
electronic retrieved on 02/06/2014 from http://unllib.unl.edu/LPP/
Boston, G. (1998). Safeguarding the Documentary Heritage: A guide to Standards,
Recommended Practices and Reference Literature Related to the Preservation of
Documents of All Kinds. Paris: UNESCO.
Bradley, K. (2007). Towards an Open Source Repository and preservation System.
Recommendations on the Implementation of an Open Source Digital Archival and
Preservation System and on Related Software Development. Paris: UNESCO.
Breen, M., Flam, G.,Giannattasio, I., Holst, P., Pellizzari, P. and Dietrich Schüller, D.
(2003).Task Force to establish selection criteria of analogue and digital audio contents
for transfer to data formats for preservation purposes. International Association of
Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA).Retrieved on 02/06/2014 from www.iasa-
web.org/sites/default/files/downloads/.../taskforce.
Byamugisha, H. M. (2010). Digitizing library resources for new modes of information use in
Uganda.Library Management, 31 (1/2): pp.42-56.
Coder, R. (1993). Television: A powerful medium of communication. London: Bowker Company
Ltd. Pp 54-55.
Cloonan, M. V. (2001). Whither Preservation. Library Quarterly, 71 (2): 231-242.
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Doh,V. (1998). School libraries and the use of audiovisual materials in the teaching and learning
of French: A case study of some selected institutions in Accra and Somanya. MA
dissertation, Information Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.
Döller, M. and Coquil, D. (2013). Digital Preservation: The Multimedia Standards way.
Retrievedon03/12/2014from
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Edmondson, R. (2004) Audiovisual Archiving: Philosophy and Principles. Retrieved on
20/08/2015 from http://www.unesdco.unesco.org/images/0013/001346
Edgar, D. (1981). Audio visual Method in Teaching. New York: Holt Rinehart and Wiston.
Gbande, N. (1996). The role of Film and Television for Development. A case study of Ghana
Broadcasting Corporation. Unpublished long easy presented to National Film and
Television (NAFTI).
Harvey, R. (1994). Preservation in Libraries: Principles, Strategies and Practices for
Librarians. London: Bowker.
Jorgensen, C. & Jorgensen, P. (2005).Image querying by image professionals. Journal of the
American Society for Information Science and Technology, 56 (12): p.1346-1359.
International Federation of Library associations (2003). Audiovisual and Multimedia Section
Guidelines for Audiovisual and Multimedia Materials in Libraries Draft. Accessed
03/04/2014 from http://www.ifla.org/VII/s35/pubs/avmgl03.html.
Kar, S. (2001). Multimedia based user education program for library: A case study. Workshop
on Multimedia and Internet Technologies. Bangalore: DRTC.
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Kosch,H., Böszörmenyi, L., Döller,M., Libsie, M., Schojer,P. and Kofler, A. (2005).The Life
Cycle of Multimedia Metadata .IEEE Multimedia, 12(1): pp.80-86.
Lekaukau, T. M. (1993). Catering for User Needs with Special Reference to Botswana National
Archives and Records Services. South African Archives Journal, 35:24-32.
Malkin, G. (2006). Capturing BALTIC’s memory.Records Management Journal, 16 (3): pp. 149-
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Ngulube, P. and Magazi, L. (2006).Protecting Documents against Disasters and Theft: The
Challenge before the Public Libraries in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa South African
Journal of Library and Information Science, 72(3): 185–197.
Nyahe, G. (2001). The role of audiovisual media in repackaging research findings for rural folk:
a study of the oil palm research institute (OPRI) and the plant genetic resource centre
(PGRC) of the council for scientific and industrial research (CSIR). MA dissertation,
Information Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.
Othman, R. (2005). A model for image retrieval tasks for creative multimedia. Performance
Measurement and Metrics, 6 (2): pp.115-131.
Rajendran, P., &Yesudoss, K. P. (2003).Preservation of video programs for future use: Analog
to digital media. In BavaKutty, M., Veeran, M. C. K., &Salih, T. K. M. (Eds.),
Information access, management and exchange in the technological age (pp. 249-260).
New Delhi: EssEss.
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Sahn, M. E. L. (2003). The multimedia library at Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The Multimedia
Library: The centre of an information rich community. Berlin: IFLA.
Shukla, V. K., andChaturvedi, N. (2004). Role of multimedia in preservation of rare research
library documents in the digital form. Herald of Library Science, 43(3-4), 251-256.
Sreenivasulu, M. (2008).Building of multimedia institutional repositories: A case study of NIFT,
Hyderabad. National Conference on Digitization and Digital Preservation. Delhi:
DESIDOC.
Stegmaier, F., Döller, M., Kosch, H., Hutter, A., and Riegel, T. (2010).AIR: Architecture for
Interoperable Retrieval on distributed and heterogeneous Multimedia Repositories; In
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Interactive Services (WIAMIS2010).Italy: Desenzanodel Garda.
Schüller, D. (2008). Audiovisual research collections and their preservation: European
Commission on Preservation and Access. Retrieved on 01/06/2014
fromhttp://www.tape-online.net/docs/audiovisual_research_collections.pdf
Setshwane, T. (2004).Managing Sound Recordings at Radio Botswana, MLIS
Dissertation.University of Botswana University of Botswana.
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Wright, R., Miller, A. and Addis, M. (2009)."The Significance of Storage in the 'Cost of Risk' of
Digital Preservation. "International Journal of Digital4, no. 3
(2009).http://www.ijdc.net/index.php/ijdc/article/view/138
Zinyengere, I. (2008). African Audio-visual Archives: Bleak or Bright Future: A case study.
News, 46:37-41
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CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
In every research, there are procedures the researcher has to follow to meet its goal. These
processes are methods the investigator uses to solve typical phenomenon. According to Akussah
(2003), research in a scientific community is undertaken to solve problems of importance or to
increase theoretical knowledge. To many scholars, the fundamental goal of research is to develop
a general and systematic set of theories from which hypotheses can be generated and tested.
Archives research has for a long time focused more attention on practical problems in the field
rather than on theoretical issues.
This situation can be attributed to the fact that, most of the researches have been conducted by
practitioners. With the establishment of archives and information management schools, the trend
has gradual changed. To confirm the views from above, Busha and Harter (1980); Cloonan
(1994) pointed out that preservation practitioners lead educators in the research field suggested
that it was time archive school educators got involved in imaginative research to address
increasingly complex preservation phenomenon that beset information management institutions.
The study adopted an interpretative or qualitative research approach. This section presents the
method that was used to collect and analyze data in the study. This chapter consists of the
research design, selection of subjects, population, sample size, sampling technique and
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instrumentation. Qualitative methodology saves time, money and enables the researcher to get
closer to the respondents.
3.2 Research Design
According to Aina (2000), a research design is a plan of study. The study adopted the qualitative
method which provides the overall framework for data collection. The researcher used a case
study technique in this research work because the use of a case study approach importantly leads
to an in-depth understanding or investigation of an individual, family or an institution or a
problem. Since this study is based on an in-depth analysis of preservation of multimedia
documents in the Information Service Department, a case study technique was deemed
appropriate. According to Opoku (2006), interpretative data describes, explains, and
characterizes the subjects under investigation using words rather than numbers. Additionally, a
qualitative researcher gets closer to the people who are being studied, in order to get in-depth
results.
3.3 Population
According to Fraenkel and Wallen (1993) a population is a larger group to which a researcher
hopes to apply the results of a research. This can be done by investigation and observation of an
entire class or group, such as a study of preservation of multimedia materials. The population for
this study is the staff of the Information Service Department (ISD) which consists of the Audio
visual Unit, Photo Unit and Film Unit. Each of these units has its own Unit Head. The total
population of the staff in the ISD at the time of the study was sixty (60) comprising twenty five
(25) females thirty five (35) males. However, for the purpose of this study, the researcher
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selected twelve (12) respondents out of the total population who were thought to be directly
involved in managing the multimedia materials at the department. The respondents included
those whose age ranged between thirty (30) and fifty five (55) years were considered the target
group. The Film Unit had a staff strength of twenty two (22) made up of six (6) females and
sixteen (16) males, the Photo Unit also had four (4) females and fourteen (14) males while the
Audio visual Unit was made up of five (5) females and fifteen (15)males. This is illustrated in
Table 3.1 below.
Table 3.1 Breakdown of Study Population
Units Staff number Male Female
Film Unit 22 16 6
Photo Unit 18 14 4
Audiovisual Unit 20 5 15
Total 60 35 25
3.4 Sample Size
The sample size is defined as a small proportion of a population selected for observation and
analysis according to Best and Kahn (1989). In the case study as this, the sample size for this
research is made up of twelve (12) members of staff of the Information Service Department
(ISD). The respondents include the three (3) Unit Heads and three (3) senior archivists from each
units as well as six (6) other junior staff who are directly involved in managing multimedia
documents. The other members of staff who are not directly involved with the multimedia
materials are excluded from the study because they performed administrative and secretarial
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work. Furthermore, the sample size does not include Public Record and Archive Administration
Department (PRAAD) in this study because PRAAD did not have multimedia materials in its
collections at the time the research was conducted. Even though, the Act has mandated PRAAD
as an institution to have control and manage all government organizations’ records in Ghana.
3.5 Sampling Technique
The Free Dictionary (2015) defines sampling technique as the methods used in drawing samples
from a population usually in such a manner that the sample will facilitate determination of some
hypothesis concerning the population. Due to the time limit and the type of study, the researcher
adopted the purposive sampling technique to select the respondents for the study who had in-
depth knowledge in the management of multimedia resources. The purposive sampling technique
was used to ensure that the target respondents for the interview were not left out. As a result,
twelve (12) respondents were selected for the study.
3.6 Instrumentation
Several methods are used to collect data. These include questionnaires, interviews and
observation techniques. Research data was collected using the interview and observation
techniques. Data collection instrumentations allow systematic collection of data to ensure that
they are reliable and can be analyzed for the study.
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3.6.1 Pre-testing / Validation
According to Office of the Auditor-General Canada (2007) pre-testing is the administration of
the data instrument with a small group of respondents from the population for the full scale
survey. In case problems arise in the pre-test, it only means that there is possibility that similar
problems will occur in the next administration. Pre-testing or validation identifies future
problems with the data collection instrument and finds possible solutions. Usually, it is very
difficult to anticipate all the possible problems that will be encountered during data collection.
This is because some respondents may not be able to answer the questions correctly
thereforethere is the need for pre-testing. Validation of questionnaire allows some adjustments to
be made before the actual administration of the instrument.
In the case of this study, the questions were pre-tested using six (6) staff of Ghana Broadcasting
Corporation (GBC) at the Audiovisual Library. The researcher selected GBC for this pre-testing
because it is also a public organization which exhibits the same functions as the ISD. Besides,
the pre-testing was undertaken at GBC due to proximity and time constrains. According to Bentil
(2011), a pilot study helps to identify and eliminate ambiguous questions.
3.6.2 Interviews
According to Neuman (2006), an interview is a short-term, secondary social interaction between
two strangers with the explicit purpose of one person obtaining specific information from the
other. It is an interactive questioning session in a face-to-face situation, in which an interviewer
poses selected relevant questions for a respondent to respond. Interviews can also be conducted
using the telephone. There are three (3) types of interviews which include structured,
unstructured and semi-structured. According to Tagoe (2009), face-to-face interview is usually
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conducted using the structured and standardized interview schedule. He further pointed out that,
this method allows the researcher to read out the questions to the respondents as the researcher
records the answers. The researcher used recording and transcribing the responses between the
researcher and the respondents. The study adopted the face-to-face interview for data collection.
The interview was conducted to elicit information on some issues pertaining to the preservation
of multimedia materials, how they are processed, protected and stored. The information gathered
helped the researcher to address the research questions.
An interview schedule was drawn for the members of staff at the Information Service
Department. The interview schedule had 10 questions, and was divided into four (4) sections. In
section one (1) questions covered environmental conditions, section two (2) dealt with how
multimedia materials were processed, stored and protected, section three (3) had questions on
technology in place to preserve multimedia materials and section four (4) questioned the skills of
the staff to meet new technological change.
3.6.3 Observation
Apart from interview, observation was also used in data collection. According to Kumar (2005),
observation is a powerful systematic and selective way of watching and listening to an
interaction or problem as it takes place. The observation was used to reinforce the information
gathered through the interview so as to establish an in-depth understanding of preservation of
multimedia materials at the Information Service Department.
Salkind (2003), states that observation as a data collection instrument is where the researcher
stands outside the behaviour being observed and creates a log, note or an audio or video record
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of the behaviour. He further explains that observation is useful when the respondents fear to
provide inaccurate information and it is also helpful to overcome issues of validity or bias.
The researcher observed without taking part in any of the activities being undertaken by the staff
of ISD. The staff in the various units and equipment that was available to them. The investigator
also observed how multimedia materials were processed, stored, protected and retrieved.
3.7 Mode of Data Collection
Fraenkel and Wallen (2002) state that collection of data is an essential activity of all research
study. The researcher adopted the observation and interview technique as a source of gathering
primary data. Data was collected in phases.
Stage 1. An appointment was booked with the Director of Information Service Department.
Stage 2. The researcher scheduled a time with the participating officers to explain what the study
was all about.
Stage 3.Face to face interview was conducted in the offices of the respondents. This was done by
observation, recording and transcribing their responses.
3.8 Data Analysis
Interpretative data analysis technique was adopted to analyze the responses collected from the
respondents. Interpretatively, content analysis was used based on logical deduction instead of
using mathematical methods to explain the data collected.
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3.9 Ethical Considerations
A letter of consent was sent to the Information Service Department seeking prior permission to
undertake the study. The respondents were assured of their anonymity and confidentiality of the
information they provide with regard to the study. I have abided by the University of Ghana code
of conduct in carrying out this research and that the data was not manipulated.
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REFERENCES
Aina, L.O. (2004). Library and Information Science Text for Africa. Ibadan: Third World
Information Service Limited.
Akussah H. (2003). Preservation Documentary Heritage in Ghana:The National Archives of
Ghana in Focus’,Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Department of Information Studies,
University of Ghana, Legon).
Bentil, W. (2011). The use of Electronic Resources in Ghanaian University: a comparative study
of the University of Cape Coast and Central University College. Mphil thesis,
Department of Information Studies, University of Ghana.
Busha, C.H. and Harter, S.P. (1980). Research Methods in Librarianship: Techniques and
Interpretation. New York: Academic Press.
Coder, R (1993). Television: A powerful medium of communication. London: Bowker Company
Ltd.
Cloonan, M. V. (2001). Whither Preservation. Library Quarterly, 71 (2): 231-242.
Fraenkel, J.R. and Wallen, N.E. (1993). How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education 4th
ed. Boston: MacGraw-Hill.
Gracy, K.F. and Cloonan, M.V. (2004). The Preservation of Moving Images, in Frederick C.
Lynden (ed). Advance in Librarianship, 27 (27): 49-95.
Kumar, R.(2005) Research Methodology: A Step by Step Guide for Beginners. 2nded
London: Sage Publication pp. 121- 179
Neuman, W.L. (2006). Social Research Methods; Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches
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6thed. New York: Pearson Education.
Office of the Auditor-General of Canada (OAC), (2007). Conducting survey, pre-testing data
collection instrument. Available at http://www.org-bvg.gc.ca//internet/English/methgdee
19734.Hmt. Retried on 25/08/15
Opoku, J.Y. (2006). Tutorials in Inferential Social Statistics 2nd ed. Accra: Ghana
Universities Press.
Salkind, N.J. (2003). Exploring Research. 5thed. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.
Tagoe, M. (2009).A Handbook for Writing Research Proposal. Accra: Ghana
Universities Press.
The Free Dictionary (2015).Sampling Technique. Retrieved on 20/07/2015 from
http://www.encyclopedia2.freedictionary.com
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CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF DATA, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS
4.1 Introduction
Having been granted permission by the management, three (3) Unit Heads in the Information
Service Department (ISD) and three (3) archivists as well as other six staff members of the
Department were interviewed. It must be pointed out that the interview questions sought to elicit
information on how multimedia materials were preserved from the respondents’ point of view
concerning the study. The interview questions were arranged under three main subheadings:
environmental conditions under which the ISD preserved its multimedia materials, determining
how documents were processed, stored and protected, technology used for the preservation of
materials and skills of staff to meet new technological changes.
According to Cooper and Schindler (2004), data analysis usually involves reducing accumulated
data to a controllable size, developing summaries, looking for patterns, and applying techniques
to the findings. Cooper and Schindler (2004) further stated that researchers must interpret their
findings in accordance with the research questions or determine if the results are consistent with
their hypotheses and theories. Hence, this chapter discusses the results within the framework of
the objectives and research questions.
4.2 Preservation policy
The Information Service Department (ISD), though mindful of the need to review how
multimedia materials are preserved, does not have a handy documented policy with regard to
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how multimedia resources in the Department are preserved. The regulatory and policy
framework on records are the responsibility of the Public Records and Archives Administration
Department (PRAAD). However, the ISD has within its ranks archives staff posted there to aid
the department in its multimedia resources management process. It must be noted that the
multimedia materials are public records. The PRAAD Act 535 defines public records, as records
that belong to the Republic of Ghana created, received and maintained. Hence, the ISD
applies records management standards set by PRAAD in the handling of its multimedia
resources.
The ISD has been monitoring the state and condition of the multimedia resources preservation
ever since it was established. Again, the ISD periodically mobilizes the heads of the three units,
three archivists and other staff members to physically inspect the print and non- print materials.
For example, the non- print materials are played back as much as possible. The print materials
are dusted regularly to prevent dust settling on them.
4.3 Environmental Conditions under Which the ISD Preserves Its Multimedia Materials
According to Kademani, Kalyane and Kumar (2003), environmental conditions and methods of
storage have a great influence on the preservation of documents. Control of the environmental
conditions and the provision of good storage conditions constitute the best preventive measures
or regulations. In order to find answers to this objective of the study, these questions were set to
solicit information on the environmental conditions under which the ISD preserved its
multimedia materials such as:
• How multimedia materials were processed?
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• Under which conditions were the multimedia records protected?
• What was the temperature level at the storage area?
• Whether air conditioners were in place to regulate the temperature of the materials of the
storage room?
From answers to the first question it came out that multimedia materials were processed by
sliving them. Sliving is a soft material in which negatives are put and stored in an air-conditioned
room because when dust settles on it damages the negatives. The Film Unit Head stated that due
to the sensitive nature of the negatives of the films they had noticed that when the temperature
was above 20C the negatives became bulky and the heat made the negatives swollen therefore
damaging the materials.
These findings confirmed Ogunmodede and Ebijuwa’s (2013) assertion that much research had
not been done on finding out the ideal condition of humidity and temperature for the storage
materials. The Film Unit Head further stated that the ideal humidity between 40% and 65% and
the temperature between 18C and 20C were good for conservation of electronic records.
Ogunmodede Ebijuwa and Oyetola (2013) indicate that it is very difficult to control atmospheric
conditions, which are constantly fluctuating.
The archivist at the Film Unit made the point that the control of temperature and humidity inside
the room implied their constant measurement. A number of sensitive instruments were available
for measuring temperature and humidity. These instruments were the recording type and made it
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possible to record temperature and humidity, or both over a length of time. The archivist further
explained that too much of relative humidity or too little of it was equally dangerous. The
recording instruments helped the staff to know the actual condition of humidity. It was necessary
to find out the humid materials and to maintain the right humidity. During the hamathan season,
relative humidity falls below 50% and the atmosphere becomes dry. Two respondents also
explained that it was necessary to increase the content of moisture in the air.
Sunil and Kumar (2009) have suggested the use of air conditioners in storage area was ideal.
The use of thermometer and barometer were necessary to check temperature and relative
humidity level in the storage area. The findings also supported Akussah’s (2011) assertion that
temperature in the storage area needs to be monitored often.
The Audio Visual Unit Head interviewed stated that in order to have good storage of the
multimedia materials, high quality pen drives and computer hard drives were used in storing
them. The respondent further added that the above storage devices were also used to preserve the
materials from damage. To this finding, Ogunmoded Ebijuwa and Oyetola (2013) pointed out
that dust accumulates quickly in records centres, so it is necessary to remove it regularly.
The three archivists from each Unit interviewed also stated that dusting could not be done
properly with cloth or brush or hands, because particles of dust rise into air and again settle down
in some other part of the room or on other shelves. To overcome these problem storage rooms
should use vacuum cleaners. Vacuum cleaners also helped in saving a lot of time otherwise spent
on broom and cleaning.
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4.4 Determining How Multimedia Records Were Processed, Stored and Protected
On how multimedia records were processed, stored and protected two archivists one from the
Photo Unit and the other from Film Unit respectively explained that the Information Service
Department (ISD) processed most of its multimedia materials on CDs, video tapes and stored
them in dust free containers, computer hard drives and wheels. Other materials were also stored
in fire proof cabinets with labels determining the type of coverage and information contained
therein.
The Head at the Film Unit interviewed also said that he had his own way of protecting the
multimedia materials by making sure that the storage area was clean. The Audio visual Unit
Head interviewed also revealed that the old and relevant multimedia materials were appraised
while the ones with no further value to the ISD were disposed of. The archivist at the Film Unit
said that appraisal helped manage space in the storage area.
The Head of Audio Visual Unit and the archivist at the Photo Unit cautioned that staff needed
not to underestimate the importance of differences among formats. There was, nonetheless, a
consensus around the basic issues, if not necessarily around solutions. The issues, which include
technical obsolescence and standards, metadata, information security, and the overall
architecture of the system, were by no means discrete. For example, standards affect creation as
well as preservation.
The Film Unit Head pointed out that, the longevity of the storage medium was a consistent
concern just as signal degradation and software obsolesce. The archivist at the Photo Unit
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advised that degradation be compared with the process by which a photograph ages. The image
fades and the medium on which the image was printed also disintegrates. There were methods
for error detection; however, the archivist at the Film Unit pointed out that, sometimes the
integrity of the digital object was compromised.
The Head at the Film Unit further added that one solution to preservation of multimedia material
was to migrate them from one medium to another. However, the three Unit Heads were of the
view that whether to use sampling/compression strategies (particularly if the object was made
available for example, Joint Photographic Experts Group [JPEG] or Motion Picture Experts
Group [MPEG] format), the extent to which migrating the information introduced errors if the
data were sampled, and the implications of migrating formats for version control and integrity.
In addition, the archivist at the Photo Unit made the point clearly that when a digital work was
migrated from one format to another some amount of quality might be lost as far as technology
was concerned therefore, care needed to be taken when migrating materials. So in the case of
recorded sound, for example, would improvements to fidelity resulting from more sophisticated
software technology compromise the integrity of the original, since it was no longer truly the
artist’s treatment of a work and misrepresents the recording technology of time. At least the
Head at the Audio Visual Unit, who was an expert in sound recording did not consider this to be
a serious problem but did acknowledge the fact that, the rules for the successive formats needed
to be retained.
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On the other hand, the Head from the Film Unit noted that while standard archival practices call
for refreshing the data through migration and emulation, these strategies might be inadequate for
handling the intricacies, interdependencies, and sheer volume of television content. For film and
television, this had resulted in attention to selection and collection policies as well as
highlighting the importance of metadata as a management tool.
The Head at the Audio Visual Unit interviewed further remarked that in order to preserve
pictures as digital data and ensure their accessibility for the third generation, the pictures' file
format should remain usable for many years to come. He also stated that, at present the saving
format of commonly-used digital pictures were compliant with standardized file formats which
have relatively good future prospects. However, they also may become obsolete any time. There
were also issues in relation to the record media. The Head from the Photo Unit noted that, the
ISD needed to convert picture files to a new medium before the present record medium became
unplayable due to the end of its life span. Whenever the specification of a medium became
obsolete because of the change of the times, the department had to copy it to a new medium in
each case.
The Head at the Film Unit point of view was that, conservation of multimedia materials required
continuous cost which would be a great burden for the ISD or individuals. Other approaches that
the department could think of was to preserve pictures by having them printed on photographic
paper for silver halide photography in photo studios. Silver halide photography is traditional
photographs printed on film. The archivist at the Film Unit pointed out that, the life of the paper
for silver halide photos lasts between 100 and 150 years when stored in an appropriate
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environment. It also had a merit that no special measure was required once a proper storage
space was secured. Nonetheless, physical deterioration was inevitable with this method. The
archivist further added that the ISD could do well and practice the best way of preserving
multimedia materials.
4.5 Technology for Preserving Multimedia Materials
The findings on technology used for the preservation of multimedia materials revealed that the
ISD used technology to preserve multimedia materials created by the organization in three
formats such as technical preservation, emulation and migration of the documents. With
technical preservation, two Unit Heads from Photo and Film Units and one archivist from the
Audio Visual Unit respectively indicated that multimedia materials were maintained in the
original state or software, and sometimes hardware, of the original operating environment. These
findings support Akussah’s (2003) assertion that digital repositories need to continuously sustain
the technologies on which they thrive. Akussah (2003) has further explained that there is the
need for technological sustainability for range of preservation strategies, regular and timely
upgrades and replacement of hardware and software.
Furthermore, the two Heads from Audio and Photo Units further added that other techniques
used for preserving multimedia materials were through emulation and migration method. In
order to prolong the lifespan of the materials, they were re-created in the original operating
environment by programming future platforms and operating systems to emulate the original
environment. To this finding, UNESCO (2000) confirmed that these technologies improve the
reproduction of original material.
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For the migration method, the archivist from the Film Unit said that, documents had to be
transferred to new platforms before further production. This was in conformity with what
Olatokun (2008) has also stated that it is the responsibility of the staff to keep these materials in
good physical condition so that they are available for users at all times.
4.6 Preservation method used for multimedia materials
Preservation does not simply happen on its own. A well planned strategy must be drawn and
managed (Clayton and Gorman, 2001). As these multimedia materials are continuously being
used, they are more likely to be damaged. To prevent this deterioration of materials which may
affect further retrieval of the contents, there is the need to adopt appropriate management
strategies. Environmental conditions and methods of storage have a great influence on the
preservation of documents. Control of the environmental conditions and the provision of good
storage conditions constitute the best preventive measures (Kademani, Kalyane and Kumar,
2003).
The study also revealed that as technological software normally became obsolete in no time,
reproduction methods were used to create multimedia materials in compatible format so that
when the technology used became obsolete it could be used in the new software or by creating
online versions. The study also revealed that backups were created for important multimedia
materials which served as national heritage and other relevant events that need to be protected
and preserved for posterity and deposited outside the ISD.
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Observations made by the researcher confirmed that the ISD was somehow applying
preservation methods especially in keeping the multimedia materials under dust protected
environment.
4.7 Skills of staff to meet new technological change
In every environment, staff need to be abreast with existing and new methods of preserving
multimedia materials. From the interview conducted, it was revealed that junior staff and
cleaners who were responsible for the cleaning of the records storage area, regularly were
educated on the importance of preventative measures at staff meetings and through staff reports.
In addition, every member of staff was made to understand the whole preservation framework.
From the researcher’s observation, it seemed some preservation methods were embraced as a
matter of importance for all the staff of the ISD and not simply conservators or the units set aside
for preservation or that member of staff responsible for it.
4.8 Staff Training
Furthermore, as part of the objectives of the study, the researcher set out to find out whether or
not the ISD organized regular training for its staff to impart the requisite skills and knowledge in
preservation of multimedia materials. According to Obisi (2011) training is a performance
development process to foster learning new techniques and methods to perform jobs with the
fullest efficiency and effectiveness. Mottey (2013) has stated that successful training and
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development programmes assist the strategic requirement of an organization and also satisfies
the individual needs of the people working in it.
4.8.1 Frequency of Training
The study looked at how often staff were trained and equipped with necessary skills to meet
modern technological challenges of handling multimedia materials. It was revealed that, staff
were trained once in a while and when the need arose in order to gain job knowledge so as to
expand their horizons of preservation management. A study by Obisi (2011) has further noted
that training of staff enhanced their performance if the management used diverse IT based
systems to train them. The respondents of the Information Service Department informed the
researcher that no regular training was carried out except as and when the demand arose was
quite worrying since the ISD produced more multimedia materials. This could be improved when
staff received regular training. Yang and Konard (2010) have suggested that with the help of
regular training of staff business success is guaranteed.
Furthermore, the study also showed that the Heads of the various units were of the view that
training of staff had been low since the establishment of the ISD. They further agreed that apart
from the normal orientation when one was employed there was no other regular training or any
intensive refresher courses on preservation of multimedia materials. The Head from the Film
Unit added that there were plans to augment training programmes on how to protect multimedia
materials for all staff that needed to be trained.
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4. 9 Challenges of Preserving Multimedia Materials
One of the objectives of study was to find out whether the Information Service Department(ISD)
faced challenges in preserving its multimedia materials. It was identified that ISD had a myriad
of challenges which ranged from funds, space, policy, logistics and storage conditions. The aim
was to analyze the situation of multimedia materials collections, to summarize their specific
problems, and to point out possible solutions. The Head at the Film Units agreed to the fact that,
the ISD was faced with technical challenges of multimedia materials preservation, safeguarding
the master files, signal extraction from originals, typical organizational structures of audiovisual
research collections, possible strategic measures to solve the preservation problems and
international, European, and national cooperation.
4.9.1The Technical Challenge of Multimedia Materials Preservation
All the three Heads from the respective units noted that multimedia materials could only be
preserved by adopting a new paradigm of preservation. Any attempts to preserve the original
copies of multimedia documents needed classical paradigm as sooner or later they are bound to
deteriorate so much that their contents cannot be retrieved. Additionally, the three archivists
from the various units interviewed mentioned the fact that, the rapid pace of technological
development or advancement made recording systems and formats obsolete in ever shorter
cycles, leaving even carriers in excellent condition without dedicated replay equipment and
consequently useless.
The Head from the Film Unit said that, the multimedia resources preservatiors must concentrate
on content, by digital migration from one preservation platform to the next. Contents from
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analogue carriers had to be digitised first. The ethical and strategic principles for video and audio
must be laid down in a standard document which in its principles can also be applied for video
archiving.
4.9.2 Signal Extraction from Originals
The study also found that audio and video preservation was demanding in many respects. Signal
extraction from originals needed to meet highest standards, as differently to digitisation of text
and images, original ultimately would be lost and the digital archival master had to serve as a
faithful replica of the original. It was imperative to have modern replay equipment ready for all
original formats, to be kept in good working condition by experienced specialists. There was
general agreement from the respondents that format obsolescence and the lack of replay
equipment was a greater threat than carrier decay. The time window left to transfer contents from
analogue and single digital carriers to digital repositories successfully was estimated to be not
more than 20 years.
4.9.3 Safeguarding the Master Files
Another challenge stated by the respondents at the ISD was that preservation of audio and video
materials was safeguarding the master files, which included data integrity checking, refreshing of
data if needed, and migration of data to new preservation platforms in time to avoid loss of
information through obsolescence. They further stated that the specific challenge related to
multimedia files required large space for storage. One hour of audio and visual required large
volume of space therefore, this made audio and video data the most voluminous of documents.
Awareness of these challenges, and consequently the readiness to promote and fund digital long-
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term preservation, had only recently developed, considerably for content conversion from
analogue to digital.
The Head at the Audio visual Unit noted that, the preservation of multimedia materials was in
demand of storage capacities considerably exceeding those for text documents, there was an
inherent danger that in such general contexts multimedia materials preservation standards may
not fully be adhered to, specifically for video documents, in order to save on costs for storage
space.
4.10 Film Preservation
From the study it came out clearly that the Information Service Department (ISD) faced
challenges of preserving films. To this, Bradley (2007) has pointed out that film preservation was
another challenge and if not properly stored in a fairly stable format and under desirable
condition it will be damaged. From observation it could be said that obsolescence and
maintenance of replay equipment was not a matter of concern, while digitisation for preservation
was presently unviable, because of the high resolution that film documents offer, which would
create enormous storage requirements. The study had also unveiled that outside film archives
proper; the ISD held 8mm and 16 mm film documentary materials, part of which may be unique
source material. The film footage in relation to audio and video material, however, made this
issue a matter of concern. Under the prevailing general situation as outlined above, there was a
serious risk that the situation of multimedia materials preservation in the ISD would go from bad
to worse if care was not taken due to technological advancement.
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From the researcher’s point of view multimedia materials without specific preservation
programmes in principle would be the most endangered group of collections. Here, the
researcher identified that lack of appropriate awareness and very typically the lack of financial
means to preserve the materials properly would make the ISD irrelevant in historical
information. This awareness, however, is generally accompanied by the lack of means to actively
preserve these materials.
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REFERENCES
Akussah, H. (2003). Preservation of Documentary Heritage in Ghana. “The National
Archives of Ghana in Focus”, Unpublished PhD Thesis, Department of Information
Studies, University of Ghana, Legon.
Akussah, H. (2011).Preservation of Documents. Accra: NAB Superior Services.
Bradley, K. (2007). Towards an Open Source Repository and preservation System.
Recommendations on the Implementation of an Open Source Digital Archival and
Preservation System and on Related Software
Clayton, P., & G. E. Gorman. (2001). Managing information resources in libraries:
Collection management in theory and practice. London: Library Association.
Cooper, D.R. n Schindler, P.S. (2004). Business Research Methods, 12th ed. Boston: McGraw-
Hill Education.
Kademani, Kalyane n Kumar (2003).Kademani B. S., Kalyane V. L. and Vijai Kumar
(2002), A. H. Zewail: Research Collaborator par excellence, Scientometrics,
Vol. 53, No. 1, pp. 113-121. (HU ISSN 0138 - 9130)
http://eprints.rclis.org/archive/00001505/
Mottey, E. (2013). Information Management and Tax Administration in Ghana: A Case
Study of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority,
Head Office Accra. MA thesis to University of Ghana, Legon.
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Obisi, C (2011). Employee Training and Development in Nigeria: Some Observation and
Agenda for Research. Aust. J. Bus. Manage. Res. 1(9), 82-91.
Ogunmodede, T.A., Ebijuwa, A. S. &Oyetola, S.O. (2013). Health Information Needs and
Information Sources of Pregnant Women in Ogomoso Metropolis, Oyo State,
Nigeria. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal) Libraries at University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
Olatokun, W. M. (2008). Gender and National ICT Policy in Africa: Issues, Strategies
and Policy Options, Information Development, 24, 53-65 at
http://idv.Sagepub.com/cgi/content/refs/ 24/1/53, accessed 25/03/2014
Sunil n Kumar (2009). Joshi, Sunil Kumar,J.S. (2009). Use of Information Technology in
Medical Education (February 5, 2009). Modern Trends in Medical Education, pp. 81-
87, 2009. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1518954
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2000) Reports
and on Mass Communication, No. 51
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Yang, Y. &Konrad, A.M. (2010). Diversity and organizational innovation: The role of
Employee involvement. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(8):pp. 1062–1083.
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CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINGINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Introduction
This chapter presents a summary of the study’s findings in line with the research objectives, and
the conclusion based on the findings. Recommendations have also been made based on the
findings as well as suggestions of areas for further research.
The specific objectives of the study were to:
• To find out the environmental conditions under which ISD preserved its
multimedia resources.
• Determine how multimedia resources were processed, stored and protected.
• To find out the kind of technology in place for the preservation of materials.
• To assess the methods the staff used to preserve multimedia materials in ISD.
• To find out whether the staff had the requisite skills and knowledge for managing
multimedia materials.
• To make recommendations for improvement.
5.2 Summary of Findings
The study has been summarized based on the objectives to the study. The study examined
preservation of multimedia materials using the Ministry of Information and Media Relation as a
case study but specifically the Information Service Department (ISD). The summary was
presented under the following sub-headings: environmental conditions under which the ISD
preserved its multimedia materials, determining how multimedia records were processed, stored
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and protected, technology in place for the preservation of materials, skills of staff to meet new
technological change and challenges of preserving multimedia materials.
5.2.1 Environmental Conditions under Which the ISD Preserved Its Multimedia Materials
The first objective to the study was to find out the environmental conditions under which the
Information Service Department (ISD) preserved its multimedia materials whether preservation
methods were followed. After the analysis of data it was identified that multimedia materials
created by the ISD were stored in air-conditioned rooms to avoid dust to settle on them and also
to regulate the temperature of the storage area for constant temperature regulation around
materials to ensure long life span of the materials. However, currently all the air conditioners had
broken down and the multimedia materials were deteriorating. In addition, the study found out
that in recent times, there have been serious roof leakages therefore, making preservation of
multimedia materials very difficult.
5.2.2 Determining How Multimedia Records Were Processed
Pertaining to how multimedia records were processed and stored, it was revealed that multimedia
materials were put on CDs, CD-ROM, video tapes and stored in dust free containers, computer
hard drives and wheels and fire proof cabinets in order to protect them from fire and other
disasters associated with it.
5.2.3 Technology in Place for the Preservation of Materials
From the results of the analysis, the study found out that the ISD had some form of technology in
place to preserve its multimedia materials although, this technology had become obsolete
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overtime.Some of the multimedia resources were copied and stored online and other IT facilities
such as computer hard drives, CDs and DVD formats. In addition, the study also revealed that
technological facilities were used to change format of the documents without destroying the
original format so that it could be used on new softwares.
5.2.4 Skills of Staff to Meet New Technological Changes
The results of the study revealed that management had not been able to organize regular training
for staff in charge of preserving the multimedia materials. However, the few training
programmes had been held during orientation sessions when employees were first taken. From
the results of the analysis, it was also revealed that training was held when the demand arose.
The study also found out that the ISD was trying to organize regular training to equip its staff
with the requisite skills for the management of multimedia materials due to its sensitive nature of
preservation.
5.2.5 Challenges of Preserving Multimedia Materials
The researcher identified the following challenges:
• The department lacked the skilled technical staff to preserve the multimedia material in their
custody.
• The department also lacked adequate funding to carry out intended preservation programmes
• The infrastructure to store the multimedia materials were old and obsolete.
• The staff of the ISD lacked motivation to work.
• The ISD also lacked logistics to carry out its preservation activities.
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5.3 Conclusion
To conclude based on the finding of the study, every institution whether, public or private, ought
to have a policy on every aspect of work which will serve as a yard stick with which all activities
would be measured. This study has presented information on the status of multimedia materials
preservation in ISD and provided recommendations on how the current situation can be
improved. The study has also shown that the staff of ISD faced manychallenges with regard to
techniques, policy governing the management of multimedia materials and technological
changes. As a result, ISD risks losing a lot of its heritage materials forever, unless the department
takes appropriate measures to implement adequate multimedia material preservation
programmes.
5.4 Recommendations
The recommendations below are made based on the findings of the special focus on how to
improve multimedia material preservation and also to improve the work of the staffof
Information Service Department (ISD).
5.4.1 Preservation Policy
Based on the findings the ISD should formulate policies on multimedia material preservation.
The police should include appropriate preservation guidelines to help the ISD staff perform their
work.The ISD with the assistance of PRAAD should formulate multimedia material preservation
policy as provided under the PRAAD Act - 1997 (Act 535).
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5.4.2 Staff Training
The ISD should also sponsor its staff to undergo regular training to equip them with modern
skills in preserving multimedia materials so that they will be abreast with time.
5.4.3 Disaster Preparedness Policy
In addition, the Information Ministry and Media Relations should make funds available for a
proper disaster preparedness policy. This policy must be adhered to by all ISD staff.
5.4.4 Construction of Repository
The Ministry of Information and Media Relations should also source funds to build a modern
repository for the preservation of multimedia materials.
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APPENDIX 1
INTERVIEW GUIDE
Environmental conditions under which the Information Service Department (ISD)
preserve its multimedia materials.
• How do you process multimedia materials?
• Under which conditions are the multimedia documents protected?
• What is the temperature level at the storage area?
• Do you have air conditioners and are they always on?
Determining how multimedia materials are processed, stored and protected.
• How do you process your multimedia materials?
• What are the stages in processing the multimedia information?
• What kinds of storage facilities are available for preservation of multimedia materials?
• How effective are these storage facilities?
Technology in place for the preservation of multimedia materials
• What type of technology do you use to preserve multimedia resources?
• Explain the preservation method you use for the multimedia materials?
• How often are the methods used in preserving multimedia material reviewed?
• Is there any backup storage facility? If yes in which form is it?
Skills of staff to meet new technological change
• What type of trainingare staff given?
• How often does the ISD organise training for staff?
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• Are the staff equipped with the necessary skills to meet modern technological challenges?
If yes, how it is done?
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APPENDIX 2
OBSERVATION CHECKLIST
• Check for ventilation
• Level of temperature
• Type of lighting
• Access control to resources
• Humidity level
• The disaster preparedness
• Audiovisual handling
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