Updating Migration Status and Adding Issues in SPEC

When digitization fails or is deferred, two fields must be updated in SPEC: Migration Status and Issues. Use this guide to navigate to these fields and choose the appropriate field values.

  1. From the SPEC landing page, under the “Objects” menu, click Search all objects
  2. Enter the AMI ID of your item in the “Any ID” field and hit search
  3. Optional: next to “List edit:” click AMI to narrow your search results down to AMI items only
  4. Open the Object Record by clicking on the title text (in the Object name column) of your item
  1. Follow steps above to open the Object Record
  2. On the left hand side of the Object record, look for “MIGRATION/DIGITIZATION STATUS” heading; click on the text of the current status to open the Migration / Digitization status card
  3. At the bottom of the Migration / Digitization status card, click the + ADD MIGRATION STATUS button
    • n.b.: DO NOT change the current migration status directly from the dropdown menu: this will overwrite the status. Instead, click the + ADD MIGRATION STATUS button: the current migration status will be converted to a historical status, and your new entry will be added as the current status
  4. You will see a pop-up alerting you that the current migration status will be replaced with the one you are entering: click OK
  5. Choose the appropriate value from the dropdown menu
  1. Follow steps above to open the Object Record
  2. In the main body of the Object Record, look for the “ISSUES” heading; click View All / Edit / Add to open Issues tab
  3. At the bottom of the Issues tab, click the + ADD ISSUE button
  4. Choose the appropriate values for these fields:
    1. TYPE
    2. ISSUE (a.k.a. subtype)
    3. NOTES

Guidelines

Migration Status guidelines:

Choose from one of the following statuses (avoid using statuses not listed here):

  • AMI re-batch: special treatment vendor (film)
    • for film items that will not be digitized in-house due to format limitations or condition issues
  • AMI re-batch: vendor (a/v):
    • for audio and video items that will not be digitized in-house due to format limitations or condition issues
  • AMI re-batch: vendor (mold):
    • for items that will not be digitized in-house or in a standard vendor project due to mold
  • AMI rebatch: in-house (a/v):
    • for items DNCed by vendors that should be retried in-house
    • for items batched in-house that need to be rerouted to a different engineer (e.g. a film item batched in an audio project)
  • AMI rebatch: in-house (digital archives)
    • for items that are found to be data carriers rather than A/V
  • Migration failed (will retry)
    • for items that are missing at the time of digitization project ONLY (for all other migration failure contexts, use one of the “re-batch” options above)
  • Will not migrate:
    • for items that will definitively not be captured (e.g. blank media, items for which every possible option has been tried and failed)

The following statuses will no longer be used:

  • Migration failed (will not retry):
    • use Will not migrate instead

Issue guidelines:

There are three Issue fields to complete (in order):

  1. TYPE (dropdown)
  2. ISSUE a.k.a. subtype (dropdown, dependent on TYPE)
  3. NOTES (free text, when applicable)

Avoid using issue types and subtypes not listed here:

  • Hazard:
    • for items that present health or safety hazards. Subtype required (see below)
    • Hazard subtypes:
      • Inactive Mold
        • NOTES: not required
      • Nitrate
        • NOTES: not required
  • Media Capture:
    • for all other cases. Subtype required (see below)
    • Media Capture subtypes:
      • Blank media
        • for unused stock, or for media with tones/bars/video black/film leader only
        • NOTES: optional
      • Commercial media
        • for either consumer home media or off-air recordings
        • NOTES: optional
      • Condition issue
        • n.b.: make sure to use “Condition Issue” as a subtype of “Media Capture”, rather than as a type itself
        • for any type of physical problems impeding preparation or digitization
        • NOTES: specify the exact problem (e.g. “delaminated disc”) in the Issue’s NOTES field
      • Did not receive
        • for when an expected item was not delivered to lab/vendor
        • NOTES: if possible, indicate which box the item was missing from in the Issue’s NOTES field, e.g. “Missing from box 1234”
      • Unsupported data format
        • for an item that is a data format and cannot be digitized in current batch due to equipment limitations
        • NOTES: if possible, specify the format in the Issue’s NOTES field
      • Unsupported media format
        • for an item that is an Audio/Video/Film format but cannot be digitized in current batch due to equipment limitations
        • NOTES: if possible, specify the format in the Issue’s NOTES field

Avoid using “Other” (either as an Issue TYPE or subtype) whenever possible. Consult with colleagues to determine if any more specific type/subtype exists (or should exist). If “Other” must be used, make good use of the Issue’s NOTES field.

Use Cases


Scenario		 Migration
Status		 Issue
Type		 Issue
Subtype		 Issue
Note
A/V, Film:
Expected item was not delivered to lab/vendor		 Migration failed (will retry) Media Capture Did not receive e.g. “Missing from box 1234”
A/V, Film:
Unrecorded/unused stock		 Will not migrate Media Capture Blank media No additional note required
A/V, Film:
No meaningful content (tones/bars/video black/film leader only)		 Will not migrate Media Capture Blank media e.g. “bars only”
A/V:
Unplayable/inaudible due to recording error – in-house determination		 Will not migrate Media Capture Condition issue e.g. “Recording error, tried in multiple machines”
A/V:
Unplayable/inaudible due to recording error – vendor determination		 AMI rebatch: in-house (a/v) Media Capture Condition issue e.g. “Recording error, tried in multiple machines”
A/V:
Commercial media (consumer media or off-air recording)		 Will not migrate Media Capture Commercial media e.g. “commercial DVD”
A/V:
Unsupported format – in-house equipment limitation		 AMI re-batch: vendor (a/v) Media Capture Unsupported media format e.g. “No PAL 8mm equipment available”
A/V:
Unsupported format – vendor equipment limitation		 AMI rebatch: in-house (a/v) Media Capture Unsupported media format e.g. “No PAL 8mm equipment available”
Data:
Unsupported format (item may have been inventoried as A/V)		 AMI rebatch: in-house (digital archives) Media Capture Unsupported data format e.g. “Digital8 data tape”
Film:
Unsupported format		 AMI re-batch: special treatment vendor (film) Media Capture Unsupported media format e.g. “35mm full-coat mag”
Film:
Unprocessed (exposed) stock		 AMI re-batch: special treatment vendor (film) Media Capture Condition issue e.g. “sealed, appears to be exposed but not processed”
A/V:
Item needing special treatment		 AMI re-batch: vendor (a/v) Media Capture Condition issue e.g. “delaminated disc”
Film:
Item needing special treatment		 AMI re-batch: special treatment vendor (film) Media Capture Condition issue e.g. “severe acetate decay, may need replasticizaion”, “trims/outs (needs extensive prep)”
A/V, Film:
Item damaged beyond repair		 Will not migrate Media Capture Condition issue e.g. “Multiple transfer attempts, baked and cleaned, still unplayable due to SSS”
A/V, Film:
Moldy item		 AMI re-batch: vendor (mold) Hazard Inactive mold No additional note required
Film:
Nitrate		 AMI re-batch: special treatment vendor (film) Hazard Nitrate No additional note required