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Fragility
Fragility is susceptibility to damage by handling or storage e.g. accidental damage
This is one of the four Preservation Factors (Fragility; Longevity; Format Obsolesence; Holdings) that go to make up the concept of Urgency or Likelihood of Loss.
Each of these technical factors have been given a ranking of one to five: one being the most at risk to five the least at risk.
1 – Treat as Glass
2 – Very Fragile
3 – Breakable
4 – Needs Some Caution
5 – Hardy Medium
Examples
Treat as Glass – lacquer discs; wax cylinders
Using the Fragility Factor the highest risk Audio formats are considered to be lacquer discs and wax cylinders at the other end of the scale we consider Vinyl LPs to be a Hardy Medium.
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.