LORD BYRON, YOUTUBE AND NATIONAL AUDIOVISUAL  ARCHIVES: EXPERIENCE IN DOING RESEARCH ABOUT KNOWLEDGE OF LORD BYRON.

Introduction

I must admit that my knowledge in technology needed for working with television, radio and movie productions was very limited in 1977. Information about how to preserve old films, old videotapes and sound recordings made for radio and television for reusing of the productions was an object for studies. Permission was granted from the Head of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) to attend an international conference dealing with television archival issues in Rome, Italy, in year 1978. The international Federation of Television Archives (FIAT/IFTA) was responsible for the conference. I attended the conference as an observer only. I recall the conference in 2018 because of a presentation of a new product made by the Dutch Company Philips: DVD was the new product. Who could dream of the existence of YouTube , files and access policy for all to television and radio productions transmitted in 1978?

YOUTUBE – A NEW INTERNATIONAL  AUDIOVISUAL  ARCHIVE- A CHALLENGE TO NATIONAL ARCHIVES WORLDWIDE?

In 2017 about 3,7 million users were making use of YouTube in Norway.

The main reason for my private interest in making use of YouTube was my research for books and facts about Lord Byron. The public library of Oslo was contacted. My request was books written by Lord Byron, books about the poet and documentaries on VHS cassettes or DVD formats. No problem in finding the literature wanted about the poet. But no documentaries were to be found in the library which had a collection of movies and documentaries available.

MY OWN COLLECTION OF MOVIES

I knew that I had made a recording of a movie based on the life of Lord Byron. I recalled that the recording was made on a VHS cassette. Information on the cassette written by me stated that the work had been done in 1996. The correct date for the recording was August 12, 1996. The title of the movie: “ Haunted Summer “. The Norwegian title is: “ Forhekset sommer ”. The movie was transmitted by the company, TV Norge. So far my own collection of movies.

Because I am an advocate for free access to transmitted films and television productions, I made a search on Google and YouTube.  I was surprised to see how made movies and documentaries made about the life and work of Lord Byron presented for public access. YouTube made it possible to go on with my private studies. Thank you!

We have to understand that the production of VHS cassettes, DVD, 16mm films, 8mm films, betacam Sp, one inch tapes and two inch tapes are done. No more productions in the future of the mentioned products. But we need to keep originals as originals even if files and live streamings of movies and documentaries are dominated the market for the time being.

My question is a provocative one: Is the establishment of You Tube a challenge to National Archives and Public Libraries worldwide that are financed by grants from the governments? YouTube is a business product, but a good one.

SOME FACTS ABOUT YOUTUBE

YouTube was set up in about 2005 in San Mateo, California, USA, by Jawed Karim, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen. The Headquarter is situated in San Bruno, California, USA for the time being. The CEO of YouTube from 2014 is Susan Wojcicki. Education: Havard University: History and literature. University of California, Santa Cruz: Master’s of Science in economics .UCLA Anderson School of Management: Master of Business  Administration.

YouTube is an American video-sharing website. In 2006 Google bought the new service called YouTube. As a user you are allowed to upload, make viewings, add to favorites, comment on videos and subscribe to other users. A wide variety of user-generated and corporate media videos are offered . Video clips, TV show clips, music videos, documentaries filing, audio recordings, movie trailors, live streams, video blogging, short original videos and above all: Educational videos!

CONCLUSION

I am impressed by the work of YouTube. Access is made for people to many products. A challenge to National archives: The answer is yes. But YouTube is a business product only. Users of public libraries can also make use of the collections offered on YouTube. What about censorship, copyrights and selection policies? What about long term preservation of the collections stored? Norway introduced YouTube in February 2013. The content of the collections might be an object for evaluations in some years due to the fact that some want to publish videos to promote conspiracy theories, extremists videos, anti-Semites videos and videos promoting hate preachers, falsehoods and incendiary fringe discourse? Anyway the content of the collections might be evaluated in the same way as books and videos bought for public access at public libraries.

I found at least ten programmes dealing with Lord Byron in one or another way. Splendid. So, I go on doing my research on the BAD, MAD and DANGEROUS poet and radical politician who was born in 1788 and died in 1824. What a life!