NFB collection in peril: audit report

Many of the 13,000 films archived at Canada's National Film Board are at risk of deterioration because the arts institution lacks the technology to digitize it, according to an internal audit.

The Canadian Press, which obtained the document under the Access to Information Act, reported Sunday the audit'sauthorssaid they were concerned the NFB's aging collectioncould deteriorate because it is largely non-digitized.

"Transferring films to digital would help the physical protection of the collection in the long term," says the audit.

However, the report saidthe board's storage vaults are well-maintained. Master copies are kept in specially ventilated, temperature-and-humidity controlled vaults.

But it warned continued handling and reproduction of the films exposes them to wear and tear.According to the audit report, about 300 boxes of film on average are moved to and from the vaults every day.

The audit says the NFB's collection "represents an invaluable asset for future generations" and warns the film board "risks being unable to meet Canadians' expectations of service delivery."

This is not the first time the film board's library has been cause for concern.

Back in April 2005, NFB officials told the standing committee on Canadian heritage that the "vagaries of time and the repercussions of repeated budget compressions have put the NFB collection in peril."

The Heritage Department is responsible for the NFB, created in 1939 as the country's public film producer and distributor.The board's productions have accumulated more than 5,000 awards including a dozen Oscars and more than 90 Genies.

"The board is a departmental agency and is responsible for its own day-to-day operations including conducting and acting upon the recommendations of their internal audits," said Canadian Heritage spokesman Charles Drouin in response to the report's findings.

In the end, the audit says the archive is an "important part of the nation's cultural heritage" and should be preserved for posterity because it is a filmic version of Canada's history.