Radio sound archives: their origins and organization with special reference to the Egyptian Radio

This study discusses the Egyptian Radio Sound Archives, which came into being in 1934 to serve the radio professional community. The study begins with an overall view of various kinds of sound archives and the types of organization required in them. The history of radio sound archives, as well as their functions, collection, organization and staff are discussed in detail. Various systems in sound archives in five European countries are examined, providing a useful background for establishing guidelines and recommendations for the Egyptian Radio Sound Archives. The Egyptian Radio and its sound archives are described in detail, followed by an assessment of the existing information retrieval system, outlining constraints and potential for improvement. Proposals are made for an expanded manual system as well as an automated system. The advantages of using a microcomputer-based system, as well as the system requirements, hardware and software specifications, staff training and costs are discussed.