[table of contents | journal index]

Washington
Library of Congress

The Library of Congress expands Film Preservation Laboratory

The Library of Congress has maintained its own motion picture preservation laboratory since the early 1970's. The lab was initially located in Washington D.C. across from the Capitol, inside the Jefferson building. During the period of time that the laboratory was located in Washington, no film was developed by the laboratory. All film processing was performed at commercial laboratories located in the greater Washington D.C. area.

In 1981 the Library renovated a vacant Air Force building, and relocated the laboratory near its main nitrate film storage vaults on Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio. This new facility included a film processing laboratory, equipped with a single Allen Products processor due to the limited amount of space available.

The Allen processor contained two developer tanks. This feature allowed for the processing of black & white low contrast preservation masters (duplicate negatives and fine grain master positives) and higher contrast materials (prints and sound tracks) in the same machine. All that was required was changing the thread-up pattern of the leader which guided the film through the chemical baths. While this arrangement saved on space, it also required a batch type of operation for the film processing section. Another problem was that whenever maintenance was required (or a breakdown occurred), then no film could be developed until the situation was resolved.

In 1992 the Library's Motion Picture Conservation Center staff began planning for the replacement of the 10 year old Allen motion picture processor. It was decided that two film processors would enable the laboratory to operate in a more efficient manner, and each processor could then serve as an emergency back up to the other in the event of a serious malfunction. Expansion of the existing facility in order to house the new film processors, as well as provide additional space for future expansion was then given a priority. A source of funding was identified and a contract was granted to a local architect to begin design of the expansion.

The final design called for an addition of almost 4100 square feet. This included 2300 square feet of space for the new film processing lab and storage area, along with 1800 square feet of new office/administrative space. Bids for the work were solicited, but unfortunately the lowest bids were still substantially above the funding limit available. The project was redesigned, with everything but the film processing laboratory deleted. The result was an addition of some 1400 square feet. New bids were received, a contract granted, and ground was broken in September of 1993.

Concurrent with the plans for expanding the facility, the process of ordering the new film processors took place. While developing the specifications for the new equipment, the Library's laboratory staff reviewed equipment available from a number of American manufacturers. Discussions took place with managers of several commercial film laboratories specializing in work for film archives. Key among the specifications developed was the requirement for a sprocket drive (rather than demand drive) for the new processors. Lab personnel strongly favored this design feature because of the extensive maintenance required to keep the demand drive system in the Allen machine from scratching the film base.

A request for proposal was issued, with two companies responding to the advertisement. The laboratory manager and a Library contracting officer visited the manufacturing plants of the two companies for a first hand look at the equipment. There was also an opportunity to visit an installation of one companies' processors, watch it in operation, and speak with the technicians that operated the equipment.

The Treise Engineering Company was awarded the contract to build the new film processors along with a new replenishment system for the laboratory. The finished equipment was delivered in mid 1993 and placed in storage pending the construction of the new laboratory.

The new laboratory facility opened for initial testing in June of 1994. Laboratory staff began a thorough check out of all the new systems, beginning by filling the new equipment with water and checking for leaks! The check-out period lasted several months, as each sub-system (circulation, temperature control, etc.) was rigorously tested and retested. Meanwhile, operation of the Allen processor was maintained, meaning that laboratory preservation production could continue.

By August, the laboratory staff was satisfied with the results of all the testing, and preservation production was switched over to the new facility. Demolition and removal of the old film processor began, with renovation of the area commencing shortly thereafter. By the end of November all work was completed.

While the above chronology illustrates the process of building the addition, what did we learn from that process? A number of things pop into mind, and while they may seem obvious to some, they are still worth emphasizing. Among other things we discovered you can never have too much time nor too much money for these types of projects. Also, cooperation and communication between those involved is essential. Let's examine these in more detail.

back to table of contents

As mentioned above, we were able to identify a source for funding of the initial project, but it was not enough to cover all of the original design. Unfortunately we had designed the project as a single whole item, rather than break it down into a series of smaller projects. When the bids came in too high, the whole project had to be put on hold until it could be redesigned. If the initial design had included a minimally acceptable expansion, with add on alternates, we would have been able to sign a contract almost a year earlier, and had more money available. Due to the delay, the original funding source was used for other things within the Library, and we were not able to secure as much money the next fiscal year.

The development of the specifications and design plans required us to work with a number of different offices outside of the Library of Congress. Because we are located on an Air Force base, we were required to follow Air Force rules, which meant all specifications had to be approved by the Civil Engineers. They required a staged approach to the development of specifications and drawings, which included submittals at each of 35%, 65%, and 95% completion levels. Each level was commented upon and these responses incorporated into the next level. It would often take between 3 and 6 weeks to get responses back from each engineering discipline (plumbing, electrical, fire control, etc.). Obviously this had the effect of delaying the time frame for the contract award. This can be crucial if you are in a situation such as ours, where funds are appropriated and must be spent in a specific year.

As part of the federal government, the Library of Congress is required to follow specific rules and regulations unique to federal agencies. For example, when contracts are expected to cost over $25,000, certain rules requiring competitive bidding must be followed. One of the rules requires that the proposed project be nationally advertised. The advertisement must run for 30 days, during which time companies can receive a solicitation package explaining the details of the project, and how to submit a bid package. Once again, this process adds to the time required for awarding contracts. By working closely with the contracting officer, we were able to keep this stage moving, using the minimum amount of time necessary.

Perhaps the most useful step in the process of contracting for the new film processors was that of visiting the manufacturers sites, as well as an actual working laboratory. This gave us the opportunity to actually see the equipment at work, and most importantly speak with the technicians that actually used it. This proved to be a very enlightening experience, especially since one company admitted that they had never built a sprocket drive processor, but were willing to "give it a try".

From the inception of the idea to final construction, the expansion of the Library of Congress motion picture preservation laboratory took almost three years to complete. Although we were not able to fund everything we had initially hoped to, everyone who has seen the final results agrees it was worth the wait. Work flow has improved resulting in a more efficiently run lab, and the staff is extremely excited to be working with the new equipment and facility. Altogether a very positive result which should serve the Library well as we move into the second century of the motion picture.

Kenneth S. Weissman


Agrandissement du laboratoire de préservation
La Library of Congress possède son propre laboratoire depuis les années 70. Logé d'abord dans le bâtiment Jefferson à Washington, près du Capitole, il fut ensuite installé dans des locaux désaffectés des Forces aériennes à Dayton, Ohio, aménagé en ‘Centre de conservation de la Library of Congress’.
En 1992, le Centre de préservation décida d’élargir ses installations et de moderniser ses équipements de duplication de films en complétant la capacité d’une machine Allen, vieille de 10 ans, par l’installation d’une nouvelle. L’exécution des travaux prit trois ans. Le projet initial, portant sur l’aménagement de 410m2, a du être révisé à la baisse (à 140m2) par manque de ressources financières, mais l’expérience a porté ses fruits. D’une part, la capacité de production s’est considérablement améliorée et, deuxièmement, la modernisation des équipements a provoqué un élan d’enthousiasme au sein du personnel de laboratoire.

Ampliación del laboratorio de preservación.
La Library of Congress posee su propio laboratorio desde principios de los años 70. Ubicadas primero en el edificio Jefferson en pleno Washington, las instalaciones fueron transladadas luego a una antigua base de la aeronáutica en Dyton, Ohio, convertida en el ‘Centro de conservación de la Library of Congress’.
En 1992, el Centro de preservación decidió ampliar su planta de procesamiento, completando la capacidad de su equipo Allen, antiguo de 10 años, con un modelo reciente.
La ejecución del proyecto duró tres años. La capacidad de procesamiento mejoró sensiblemente. La modernización de los equipos provocó el entusiasmo del personal técnico del Centro de preservación.