The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. Although originally designed for dictation, improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant reel-to-reel tape recording in most non-professional applications.^[1] Its uses ranged from portable audio to home recording to data storage for early microcomputers

 

Advantages:

 

Almost everyone has a cassette recorder; you can obtain cassette tapes anywhere in the world; cassette tapes are very cheap to buy; they are easy to play back.

 

Disadvantages:

 

The cassette recorder can be cumbersome; it is not always possible to set a recording level manually; you can only record up to 1 hour per side of tape, on a 120 tape, as this is the maximum length you can buy (this length of tape is prone to stretching).

 

Implications for Collection Development:

 

The Library has a collection of cassette tapes that are located at the circulation desk. All cassettes are cataloged in the Library's online catalog.

 

Copyright Considerations:

Cassettes do not leave the Library unless special permission is given by a librarian and certain procedures are followed.