MAKING MUSICAL SCORES AVAILABLE

ONLINE

The Digitally Accessible Music Library

Presented by Christine Edwards, Music LibrarianAngela S. Beakerman Music LibraryEastern Empire State University, NY

Why digitize? Why now?

• Increased awareness• For the collection• For the university

• Increased availability• Faculty• Students (present and future)• Nationwide• Worldwide

Why digitize? Why now?

• Partnerships• Among schools• Among archives/collections

• Preservation of documents• Less damage from use

• Appropriate to the era• Computer/Internet• Success of the movement

Previous research shows…

“When assessing the functionality of a digital library, we first need to investigate the needs and the demands of its end-users.”~ Strle & Marolt, 2012

“…the ultimate objectives are learning, exploration, and connection…Outside researchers could pore over historical documents virtually…Current students could have firsthand access to the archival material for their own learning.”~ Anna Esty, 2012

“The process of transferring digital musical scores is a gradual and very important one for libraries looking to complete their collections.”~ Ella Kulik, 2010

Previous research shows…

NEUMA, a collaborative digital scores library’s first objective is “support of scientific publication of parts of music’s cultural heritage, in particular those that would otherwise be hardly accessible.”

In regards to the IMSLP, Casey Mullin writes:“With its abundance of rare, out of print, and esoteric scores, it fills a sizable gap in the coverage of most academic music libraries.”

“Over the past years, several digital library systems for music documents were developed that include printed music (e.g., sheet music and musicological books), and various systems are currently available.”~ Damm, et al., 2012

Previous research shows…

Schools that have Internet accessible musical scores:

Sibley Music Library, University of Rochester

Loeb Music Library, Harvard

19th Century American Sheet Music, UNC-Chapel Hill

The Chopin Collection, University of Chicago

Opera and Musical Theatre Scores, University of Illinois

Hoagy Carmichael Collection, Indiana University

International Music Score Library Project

The BIG Question

Should the EESU Angela S. Beakerman Library transfer their

collection of original John Phillip Sousa and other rare musical scores to a digital, online accessible format?

The Research Questions

1. Will the introduction of musical scores to the

online environment effect the patronage of the

physical library?

2. Does the transfer of the musical score to a

digital format impact the value of the object or

collection?

3. Do the benefits of transferring the musical score

collection to a digital format outweigh the time

and effort, including cost?

Variables

1. Introducing online format

• Patronage

2. Digital transfer

• Value

3. Benefits

• vs. time

• vs. effort

• vs. cost

Data Collection Method

• Examining the research of other institutions who have (or have not) implemented an online musical score program.

• Publicized• Non-publicized

Data Analysis Method

A content analysis

will be conducted.

Expected Results

• Improved usage• Collection• Library

• Encouragement for preservation

• Possibility for collaboration with other institutions

• Benefits?

• Follow up: best digitization method