Archive management and recovery program: The work of Maharaji has been documented for over 30 years in film, audiotape, videotape, still photography and text. There are thousands of tapes, photos and transcripts currently stored in the archives.

Archive asset management is about preserving material, using it over again, storing, and documenting the assets. Each component has to be planned for and integrated into a system to allow for the global use of this media. The first step is preservation.

Present Condition: Within the archive there exists much material that is deteriorating due to the ravages of time. Particularly the film and video produced prior to 1990, much of which is in jeopardy and some of the video material from 1986-7 has been found to already be shedding oxide.

Even though restoration has begun, in the last year 22 original masters (including some events and two interviews from 1971) had already deteriorated and are lost forever.

Current Efforts: This project is a huge undertaking. The first step of extensive sorting and inventory of materials has been completed. The older archives are now being kept in a film and video vault. It is climate controlled, providing ideal conditions for the best preservation of media elements, and monitored for heat, smoke, fire, flood and intrusion.

Technology now allows us to not only maintain historical records, but to convert all material into digital format to create a living, working resource. Cataloging and data base design are projects now being planned, but are dependent on the level of contributions.

To make a donation for the support of the Archive Recovery and Preservation Project please call 818-889-1373 for details.