The Essex Sound and Video Archive is part of the Essex Record Office. It is a collection of sound recordings and videos covering all aspects of life and culture in Essex. The recordings are collected and preserved at the Essex Record Office in order that they can be used for research and accessed by as many people as possible. The archive holds a range of recordings including significant collections of oral history, radio broadcasts, hospital TV and talking newspapers. There are opportunities to hear Essex dialect and accents, as well as music, song and dance. There are recordings of music created and performed by local musicians, and a nationally significant collection of folk music and folk dance drawn from Essex sources. This includes hundreds of live recordings made at folk clubs and festivals. Holdings by format: 39 shellac disc, 10 lacquer disc, 149 vinyl disc, 7500 open reel tape, 5200 compact cassette, 35 DAT, 130 MiniDisc, 850 CD-R, 960 digital files.