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Category: Heritage Science

Image showing four pictures of cabinets, with books, parchment, paper and CDs

What a CHARMing Collection!

Posted by: Amelia Parks

One unique and CHARMing collection at The Library of Congress is made up of other peoples’ discards, handmade replicas, and miscellany. A non-collection as it were, it is an amalgamation of reference samples and materials used by preservation scientists to expand discovery and research opportunities.

Close-up view of two hands carefully at work on an aged, yellowing manuscript with handwriting

Tracing Sound: Adding Functionality to Contactless Audio Recording Digitization

Posted by: Tana Villafana

IRENE, which stands for Image Reconstruct Erase Noise Etc., is a method for extracting sound from mechanical audio recordings, such as phonograph records and cylinder records. What makes IRENE special is that the entire process is contactless, allowing us to extract audio from broken, fragile, and otherwise unplayable objects while reducing the possibility of damage.