Resources
Tools and guidance for the stewardship media art.
Supporting the long-term care of time-based media art is central to CMACC’s mission. This page brings together selected tools, guidance, and reference materials intended to support institutions stewarding media art and related collections.
Resources on this page will be updated on an ongoing basis as CMACC’s work develops. The best way to stay informed when new materials are added is to subscribe to our newsletter.
American Institute for Conservation – Electronic Media Group (AIC/EMG)
A professional specialty group within the American Institute for Conservation focused on the preservation of electronic and time-based media art.
https://www.culturalheritage.org/membership/groups/electronic-media-group
Analog Museum
An online museum documenting analog electronic devices, with historical and technical information relevant to legacy media art equipment.
https://www.analogmuseum.org/english/
Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA)
An international professional organization supporting the preservation, archiving, and access of moving image materials.
https://amianet.org/
Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC)
An international membership organization providing guidance, training, and publications on digital preservation and lifecycle management.
Library of Congress – Sustainability of Digital Formats
An authoritative resource on file format sustainability, recommended practices, and technical context for long-term digital preservation.
https://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/
Experimental Television Center
A pioneering artist-run organization founded in 1971 that fostered experimentation in video art, with a rich online archive documenting its programs and community.
https://www.experimentaltvcenter.org/about/
File Signatures Database (FileSig)
A searchable database of file format signatures used for file identification, validation, and digital forensics in preservation workflows.
Matters in Media Art
Collaborative guidelines for the care of time-based media artworks, developed by MoMA, SFMOMA, Tate, and partner institutions.
https://mattersinmediaart.org/
Museum of Modern Art Media Conservation Initiative
https://www.mediaconservation.io/intro
NEDCC
A nonprofit conservation center offering practical guidance on digital preservation, including storage, file formats, and risk management.
https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/digital-preservation
National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA)
A collaborative network advancing best practices and shared frameworks for digital stewardship across sectors.
Preserving Immersive Media Knowledge Base (PIMKB)
A collaborative resource addressing the preservation of immersive media such as VR, AR, 360° video, and real-time 3D software.
https://pimkb.gitbook.io/pimkb/
Radical Software
A digitized archive of Radical Software (1970–1974), a foundational publication in video art and media activism.
https://www.radicalsoftware.org/e/index.html
Rhizome – ArtBase & Preservation Tools
A digital preservation program and archive of born-digital and new media art. https://rhizome.org/
RepairFAQ
A long-standing technical reference site covering repair and troubleshooting for electronic equipment, including CRTs, monitors, and televisions.
https://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_Repair.html
Scanlines
An independent research platform focused on analog video, early digital media, and media archaeology.
Small Data Industries
A collection of open-source tools and guides supporting digital preservation and media stewardship.
https://opensource.smalldata.industries/
Tate – Time-Based Media Conservation
Project documentation and guidance from Tate’s conservation team on the care of time-based media artworks.
https://www.tate.org.uk/about-us/projects/matters-media-art
World Radio History – Popular Electronics Guide
An extensive archive of historic electronics magazines and manuals documenting legacy consumer and professional technologies.
https://worldradiohistory.com/Popular-Electronics-Guide.htm
Video Circuits Blog
A technical blog exploring analog video hardware, signal paths, and repair knowledge.
https://videocircuits.blogspot.com/
Video History Project
A research initiative documenting the history of video technology through oral histories and archival materials.
https://www.videohistoryproject.org/
Voices in Contemporary Art (VoCA)
A nonprofit organization supporting critical dialogue and education around the stewardship of contemporary art.
CMACC will continue to expand this list and share original resources as our research, training, and conservation work develops.