MPRT and CAA Students Visit U.S. Library of Congress Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center

Music production & recording technology (MRPT) and collaborative audio arts (CAA) students visited the U.S. Library of Congress Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia, last month. Students were given a tour of the facility, ate lunch with audio engineers who do the work of preserving our recorded national treasures, and witnessed the process of audio archiving. The Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center is a state-of-the-art facility where the Library of Congress acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings. Students enjoyed the visit and learned another aspect of being an audio engineer.

“Going to the Library of Congress National Conservation Center was an incredible experience for me. I learned the many jobs and tasks of an audio archivist and have gained a newfound respect for the quality of work that audio archivists do.”
– Logan Parker ’26 (Bachelor of Music in Music Production & Recording Technology)

“At the Library of Congress, I learned how to preserve media data in order to archive important audio artifacts that have been recorded in history. I enjoyed the learning process of how to keep the artifacts preserved and how to play them back and enjoyed visiting.”
– Mary Truitt ’23 (Bachelor of Music in Music Production & Recording Technology)

“I found the Library of Congress to be quite incredible. The coolest part was learning how they restored cylinders and vinyl records.”
– Jacob Tuttle ’26 (Bachelor of Music in Music Production & Recording Technology)

“I had a fantastic time at the Library of Congress in Culpepper. Getting to see and hear how media of the past is preserved and digitized was really cool. If anyone has the chance, take a visit.”
– Jon Long-Leary ’23 (Bachelor of Music in Music Production & Recording Technology)

“I would say that my favorite part of the trip was experiencing the amount of physical media diversity that the preservers work with daily. Ranging from the newest multi-tracks to the oldest wax cylinder recordings, everything imaginable is there and constantly managed and protected.”
– Nick Peretti ’23 (Bachelor of Music in Music Production & Recording Technology)

“It was an unreal experience to hear historical events and performances directly from original recording mediums. It was amazing to see historical audio preservation in action!”
– Danielle Crouch ’23 (Bachelor of Music in Music Production & Recording Technology)