Seminario IAML ItaliaBibliocom, Roma, 28 Ottobre 2004

Che cos’è Classical Music Library

Testimonials

"Classical Music Library has impressed everyone since we started our subscription.  A great ideamarvelously realized, it adds a new dimension to our electronic holdings.“

Chris Kretz, Instructor/Reference Librarian, Dowling College

“I am happy to be able to offer so much music 24/7 to our students who at present are not allowed to check out CDs.  This really adds to the repertoire they have available to them.”

Sarah Dorsey, Music Librarian, University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Music

PRESS COMMENTS

"This excellent listening tool should complement libraries' music collections [. . .] it should

serve as an excellent resource for libraries that support music programs.  Highly

recommended."

CHOICE Magazine

"This product could be the future for access to sound recordings and will be welcomed by many users. Libraries where Internet access to sound recordings could provide a good solution will want to investigate this product."

Library Journal

"Eminently searchable and browseable…The track offerings are extensive.  Familiar and exotic labels blend in an impressive and remarkable list…Within seconds on the site you can be up and listening to a splendid array of tracks and complete works."

The Charleston Advisor

"It had to happen and it finally did: A company has introduced a streaming service for libraries that delivers music to patrons via the Internet."

American Libraries

Music has been stored on many media types.

The key is to make it easy to find and listen

1880s - Cylinder recorders

1900s - Disc (78 rpm)

1920s - First wire recorders

1930s - First experiments with stereo recording, first 'tape' recorders (Germany)

1948 - First 33 rpm LP, First (mono) open reel tape recorders appear in USA

1950s - 45 rpm 7" record appears, Multi-channel tape recorders (up to 5 channels)

1950s - First Stereo LPs

1960s - First eight-channel recorders appear

1964 - Cassette is licensed by Philips

1960s - 16 and 24 channel tape recorders appear, Open reel video recorders (b/w)

1970s - First digital recorders appear, Home video formats (VHS/Beta)

1980s - Multi-channel digital recording CDs, DAT, Computer based sound (Apple)

1990s - Computer-based digital recording, Minidisc

2000s – Online access to vast databases of recordings

Alexander Graham Bell envisaged the telephone transmitting concerts to

people at home

Bell’s prophecy materializes as music is

streamed over the Internet

Listening on demand is simple. The key is how to find what you want…

Value added by online music databases

• Remote access– Libraries can reach audiences previously not served

– Recordings are pushed out to where the users are

• Support for multiple users: no recording is ever ‘checked out’

• Static URLs– Faculty can incorporate links to recordings in their online teaching

materials

• Audio Reserves– Faculty can easily assemble playlists for their classes in folders

• Multiple performances of works by various great artists

• Search benefits, eg. works composed on a certain date, or violin music from a particular period

• Centralised metadata storage and administration to ensure consistency and provide immediate updates to metadata/structure

Searching: find music written on a particular date

When searching for ‘1913’ the year of ‘The Right of Spring’, the user is returned many composers who wrote in that year – all through the metadata. These are very interesting associations for users!

Users can assemble their own ‘playlists’ and faculty

can assemble ‘playlists’ of listening for coursework

The user can select their own ‘playlists’ or the faculty can put together themes

Some examples of ‘playlists’

Playlists are available for Course Listening in institutions, and sections feature Female composers or any other feature which needs to be highlighted

Complete works of a composer are arranged by date of composition…

Beethoven’s works composed in any year can be highlighted

…or arranged by Genre

The Concerti are arranged in order, with multiple versions displayed when required

Summary

• Metadata and its taxonomy is the foundation of usability

• The user is able to find (search and browse), sort and access particular recordings according to key criteria

• Recordings are related in the structure of the system to provide a multi-language platform for authority data and reference materials. These can be accessed metadata via multiple formats (MARC21XML, XML, HTML etc.) on demand

• The vast number of recordings are made accessible – the value of the ‘content’ is increased

Grazie per l’attenzione

• Basidati@burioni.it• www.classical.com