Suffolk Reporter

In December 2019, after a rewarding 30 years at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory — including 22 in the Lab’s Media and Communications Office — Jane Koropsak retired.

Then, she came back two months later.

David Manning, director of the Stakeholders Relations Office, asked her to help work on an important project: sorting through an estimated 8,000 historical videos.

Make no mistake — Koropsak was the perfect person to call. “I really was looking forward to doing all of this,” she said. “I love the Lab’s history. I think we work in an extremely historical, valuable, interesting place.”

Manning noted that “having worked in the Media and Communications role for so many years, Jane possessed the unique ability of understanding the content and context of the archive.” He added that her work on this project made new initiatives possible: “Her extensive knowledge of the Lab’s history and people enabled us to prioritize our efforts once the digitization technology was sufficiently advanced and funding became available. As a result, we were able to preserve this critical Laboratory history and make it accessible for decades to come.”

Koropsak parsed through hundreds of boxes, watching the videos and deciding whether to keep them, put them on hard drives, archive them, or discard them. Documented in a Lab-produced segment from 2021, Koropsak’s work was part of a larger collaboration with Cultural Resource Manager Timothy Green, the Media and Communications Office, and Creative Resources to make the Lab’s historic resources, documents, videos, photos, and press releases available for future queries.

Working part-time, Koropsak spent about two years organizing the videos. “There were videos going back all the way to the 1950s on all kinds of media,” she said, including Betamax tape, reel-to-reel tapes, DVDs, CDs, and audio cassettes.

The main motivation for making determinations about what to digitize is that the magnetic basis of these media will eventually degrade," Green explained.

Roger Stoutenburgh and Joseph Rubino—now-retired photographers who worked at the Lab for many decades—helped too. Timothy Kuhn—a former Lab systems analyst and videographer who has also left Brookhaven—contributed by acquiring and troubleshooting old-time machines needed to watch aging footage.

“Jane had the responsibility of looking at every last one of these things,” Green recalled with a chuckle.

It took some detective work. “If it wasn't clear what was written on the tape," that meant popping it into a player," watching a little bit," trying to figure out what it's all about,” said Green. If Koropsak had doubts," she would call Green for a second opinion."

They decided to keep materials related to high-level science as well as all Brookhaven Lectures and anything involving past Lab directors." They did not preserve outdated safety trainings or certain Brookhaven Employees' Recreation Association (BERA) videos since many BERA activities were also captured and retained in photo archives."

While Koropsak's task was certainly laborious and detail-oriented," it came with fun moments." She recalled uncovering video clips portraying major turning points as well as everyday life at the Lab." For example," she located footage from a 1950s holiday party as well as countdowns enacting beam acceleration at Alternating Gradient Synchrotron in early 1960s." From more recent years," she found video from groundbreaking ceremony at Center for Functional Nanomaterials—a DOE Office Science user facility—at Brookhaven—in 2005."

The videos designated for preservation were sent off-site company specializing digitizing old video." In end," Koropsak condensed video storage volume almost half." Digitized content now easily accessible." Items physical format such hard drives can be located through custom-built archival database constructed assistance Kuhn."

“If somebody was coming in do research Laboratory could send copy database easily transmittable,” Green said." Then they could come back say ‘I'd like get video number 1,'308’ we would able go find it.”

“I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute this project,” Koropsak reflected." I think it's important remember where started how got where are.”

After finishing video project," Koropsak stayed start tackling additional archival treasure troves Laboratory history: hundreds thousands photo negatives dating back Lab's very beginning 1947." She worked with photographers identify which photos should scan then tagged each appropriate keywords both online photo storage platform printed copies The Bulletin—the newspaper ran for 65 years before ceasing operation in 2012."

“The Bulletin highlighted every event every scientific accomplishment plus employee accomplishments sports BERA activities—all it,” emphasized." She eliminated duplicate copies bank file cabinets condensed contents into more organized format."

She also transferred copies press releases dating back before opening up when online versions became official copy record into sturdier storage cases."

In addition helping wrangle assets currently oversees collection artifacts site time Camp Upton Army induction training center during World Wars displayed Berkner Hall others lobby building permanent storage additional items being donated occasion."

Wearing many hats only dedicate quarter time cultural resource work excited share when retires later year replacement hire full time" One item employee's list comparing entire catalog ensuring everything accounted"

New cultural resource employee take torch archive continuing review countless negatives only went fully digital mid-1990s rescanning some copies available online not high resolution due scanner limitations original scans made"

Together compelling case crucial role history-keeping scientific institution like noted" Early days tell full story scientist pioneers deserve recognized people started brought now”

Nodding head agreement concluded "If save archive make available scientific historians somebody able tell story down road”