[Web4lib] Where to invest in music collection.

[Andrew Hankinson]

As a current LIS student with an inclination towards music libraries,  
I've been following this thread closely.

I would wonder if the basic premise of the original collection is  
valid.  ARE CD's in their 'autumn years' as a format?

CDs still hold a number of advantages over online resources:
	- They can be played on any device without DRM worries (ever try  
playing something from Naxos on an iPod? Or something from the iTunes  
Music Store on a Samsung player?)
	- They can quickly and easily be converted to newer formats.  LP's  
must be done in realtime, but a CD can be ripped in a fraction of the  
time it takes to listen to it.  You can put your entire collection  
online in a digital medium, if you so choose. (check out the  
Variations project at Indiana University)
	- They will be supported for the foreseeable future.
	- They won't go away if your library decides to cut the budget.   
They're yours once they're bought.

All this is to say that, yes, while things are moving towards online  
distribution, there are still a LOT of kinks to be worked out in this  
arena.  Given the choice between an older but stable medium, and one  
that could become obsolete next year with some new advancement in  
distribution / technology leaving me with nothing to show for the  
thousands of dollars I paid for the subscription, I would choose the  
former.

That said, there are still a number of advantages to having an online  
subscription.  If I were in your music library, I would start buying  
CDs as the core of my collection (things like the complete works of  
famous composers, monuments of music, etc.) and use the online  
subscriptions to help fill in the gaps.  The best music libraries  
I've seen have been hybrids.

Cheers,

Andrew


On 23-Oct-06, at 10:20 PM, Faust, Bradley D. wrote:

> We've discussed subscription services like the Classical Music Library
> to supplement and broaden our music collection.
>
> One concern we have at our library is users grabbing the limited  
> number
> of licenses early in the day and camping out for long periods denying
> access to product for a broader audience.  Have sites that use these
> services experienced this problem?
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> --
> Bradley D. Faust, M.L.S.
> University Libraries   ... a destination for research, learning, and
> friends
> Assistant Dean for Library                 v:  765 285-8032
> Information Technology Services        f:  765 285-1096
> Ball State University                         e: bfaust at bsu.edu
> Muncie, IN  47306
>
> The University Libraries provides services
> that support student pursuits for academic
> success and faculty endeavors for knowledge
> creation and classroom instruction.
>
> http://www.bsu.edu/library
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
> [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Keith D. Engwall
> Sent: Friday, October 20, 2006 10:52 AM
> To: web4lib
> Subject: [Web4lib] Where to invest in music collection.
>
> Dear Web4lib,
>
> Our library is finally looking at trying to migrate from its  
> ancient lp
> collection to a more modern format.  There are some who have expressed
> concern that Compact Disc is in its autumn years as a format, so that
> *starting* a CD collection now would be an unwise investment.  If we
> already had a sizeable CD collection, it would only make sense to
> continue using that format.  But starting from scratch, is that  
> where we
> should be putting our money?
>
> I'm wondering what other libraries (particularly in the academic
> environment) are doing to provide students with access to music, and
> what they would do if they were starting from scratch?
>
> I've seen mention of colleges making deals with services like Napster,
> Rhapsody, Ruckus, etc. but haven't seen details.  Also, I'm not sure
> that would have any significant coverage of music other than
> contemporary popular genres (in my limited experience, classical,  
> jazz,
> etc. are not well represented).
>
> I've heard of Alexander Street Press' Classical Music Library, but I
> don't know how well it works, what its technical requirements are,
> whether students use it, etc.
>
> ---------------------------------
> Keith Engwall
> Head of Library Systems and Technology
> Catawba College
> Salisbury, NC
> kengwall at catawba.edu
>
> "For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public
> relations, for nature cannot be fooled." - Richard P. Feynman
>
>
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