Moving Image Collections: A Window to the World's Moving Images

MIC History & Background

The history of MIC began in 1994 with publication by the Library of Congress, in consultation with the Library’s National Film Preservation Board, of the national film preservation plan entitled Redefining Film Preservation. In 1997, this document was complemented by the Library’s publication of a follow-up plan entitled Television and Video Preservation 1997.

The preparation of both these plans had been mandated by the U.S. Congress as part of the National Film Preservation Act of 1992. Included in both plans were a host of recommendations of specific initiatives and proposed action steps for the ongoing implementation of a national moving image preservation program. These dozens of recommendations covered all aspects of the film archiving world, including acquisitions, storage, cataloging, documentation, preservation, and access.

In 1997, following publication of the television and video plan, the Library of Congress invited the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) to partner with the Library to review, prioritize, and develop strategies for implementing the numerous recommendations that were included in the two planning documents. The Library, in turn, agreed to assist wherever it could in securing the necessary implementation funding.

Upon accepting this invitation, AMIA established an ad hoc committee of the AMIA Board entitled the Committee on U.S. National Moving Image Preservation Plans (CUSNMIPP). During its three-year period of activity from 1997-1999, CUSNMIPP:

• solicited information on planning priorities from AMIA members
• created a number of focused task forces to identify and develop priority projects
• developed implementation strategies for prioritized recommendations
• inaugurated the process of working with the Library of Congress and other organizations to implement these strategies

CUSNMIPP completed its work in 1999 and produced its final report.

In assessing the plans’ various recommendations concerning cataloging, documentation and access, CUSNMIPP’s Cataloging Task Force drafted a proposal for “…an assessment of national cataloging and the requirements for creating a national moving image cataloging information center.”

This proposal represented the nascent idea that eventually grew and expanded to become MIC. For the next year or so, this idea was further developed through AMIA's Cataloging & Documentation Committee.

The key next step came in October 2000, when the National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress provided funding that enabled AMIA to contract with Grace Agnew (then at the Georgia Institute of Technology) to give substance to the idea. Grace interviewed experts in the field and identified the requirements for building and maintaining an online portal for moving image materials held archives throughout the world. Grace prepared a comprehensive report that was presented in late 2001 to the AMIA Board of Directors and the Library of Congress, a report eagerly welcomed by both institutions.

In early 2002, Grace continued to work with AMIA to prepare a grant application to the National Science Foundation that would seek initial funding to develop the MIC infrastructure and technologies. Also early in 2002, the Library agreed to serve as permanent host for the MIC project, following the conclusion of its development through the NSF grant. The NSF grant of just under $1,000,000 was awarded in September 2002.

The Library of Congress, in collaboration with AMIA, will continue development of MIC as it becomes a key access program of the Library of Congress’ National Audio Visual Conservation Center.

Many projects and organizations led up to MIC. Timeline of milestones that paved the way.