Visualizing catalogue data: mapping local music in a digital environment

Catalogue datasets are rich sources of detailed information that can be leveraged to improve access to music special collections. Datasets built from MARC metadata must be enhanced, but ultimately serve as a rich foundation on which to build digital tools such as geospatial visualizations. Presenting digital collections through a mapping environment allows users to experience a more interactive and engaging browsing experience, and can serve to highlight alternative narratives that may be missing from traditional catalogue searches. This presentation discusses an exploratory project which aims to enhance browsing of a digital historical collection of band, orchestra, and choir sound recordings from Saskatchewan, Canada through a geospatial visualization tool. The catalogue data was extracted from MARC records of the Saskatchewan Music Collection, a local music collection physically located at the Education & Music Library, University of Saskatchewan and online as a digital collection. The collection is tied together through the geography of the province, while still representing a wide variety of media, genres and time periods. Creating a visualization tool facilitates serendipitous searching of the digital collection, allowing users to browse by interacting with the collection through geographic points, which then connect to both physical and digital collections. We conducted beta testing using a broader dataset, and refined the collection after receiving feedback on a proof-of-concept map. This presentation will include a discussion of challenges and outcomes of working with library catalogue data to create geospatial visualizations, a presentation of the various tools used (OpenRefine, ArcGIS), and the process used to archive and publish the dataset online. A demonstration of the visualization will be conducted as will as a discussion of the broader application of visualizations for accessing and curating digital music collections from a discovery perspective

Local Music Collections: Strategies for Digital Access, Presentation, and Preservation - A Case Study

The Saskatchewan Music Collection (SMC) is a local music collection held at the University of Saskatchewan. This case study examines a project to digitize and present this unique special collection in the online environment. The project aims to facilitate access to the collection, preserve the collection and promote scholarship and interest in the music of the province. This paper addresses the value of local music collections, as well as challenges and strategies for collection development, copyright issues, promotion and access. An approach for digitizing and presenting the online collection are discussed

The Saskatchewan Music Collection: Presenting the Past, Present and Future of Our Regional Music History

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Regional music collection practices in libraries: A qualitative systematic review and thematic analysis of the literature

Regional music collections document the music of a particular geographic area, bringing together unique artifacts that represent the local history and culture. The practice of collecting regional music is now taking place at many academic and public libraries. With increasing frequency and a diversity of methods, these collections are now also being presented online, expanding access to a wider audience. This paper presents the results of a qualitative systematic review and evidence synthesis, which aims to capture current practices in the management and representation regional music collections in libraries. In particular, the review aims to analyze the findings of scholarly, professional and grey literature related to regional music collection practices in academic and public libraries within North America. NVivo software was used to conduct content analysis of core literature findings in order to identify key themes within the literature. This review provides insight into the past and current practices surrounding the acquisition, management, and presentation of these special collections. The “big picture” of regional music collections will be discussed, including where they are held, current practices and guidelines for establishing and maintaining these collections, and potential areas for growth and innovation - especially in regard to digital collections and new publishing models for music

Applying the Flipped Classroom Methodology in a First-Year Undergraduate Music Research Methods Course

Online learning environments and teaching tools are becoming increasingly present on University campuses and continue to impact the way information literacy instruction is delivered. The flipped classroom is a methodology that allows students to access lecture content before class as homework, leaving room during class time for higher level cognitive activities and assessments. This article discusses a program review of a first-year undergraduate music library research methods course. A pre- and posttest survey was administered to collect students’ perceptions of the methodology as well as information literacy skill development

Local and Regional Music Collections: Issues and Strategies

Presentation at 2013 Music Library Association (MLA) conference, San Jose, CA, March 2, 2013. Part of Local and Regional Music Collections: Issues and Strategies panel.Many libraries are developing local or regional music collections. Why librarians choose to create such collections and how they approach issues of development, selection, access, and marketing vary from institution to institution depending upon mission, budget, staffing, and other local circumstances. Librarians from five different libraries, representing small, medium, and large academic and public libraries, examine these concerns as they discuss the opportunities and constraints they have encountered in creating these collections. Decisions about what to collect, time constraints, and strategies for engaging with the community, cataloging, access issues, formats, and significance are addressed as they manifest themselves in the unique situations of individual libraries

The Saskatchewan Music Collection: Presenting the Past, Present and Future of Our Regional Music History

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Connecting Music and Place: Exploring Library Collection Data Using Geo-visualizations

Objectives – This project had two stated objectives: 1) to compare the location and concentration of Saskatchewan-based large ensembles (bands, orchestras, choirs) within the province, with the intention to draw conclusions about the history of community-based musical activity within the province; and 2) to enable location-based browsing of Saskatchewan music materials through an interactive search interface. Methods – Data was harvested from MARC metadata found in the library catalogue for a special collection of Saskatchewan music at the University of Saskatchewan. Microsoft Excel and OpenRefine were used to screen, clean, and enhance the dataset. Data was imported into ArcGIS software, where it was plotted using a geo-visualization showing location and concentrations of musical activity by large ensembles within the province. The geo-visualization also allows users to filter results based on the ensemble type (band, orchestra, or choir). Results – The geo-visualization shows that albums from large community ensembles appear across the province, in cities and towns of all sizes. The ensembles are concentrated in the southern portion of the province and there is a correlation between population density and ensemble location. Choral ensembles are more prevalent than bands and orchestras, and appear more widely across the province, whereas bands and orchestras are concentrated around larger centres. Conclusions – Library catalogue data contains unique information for research based on special collections, though additional cleaning is needed. Using geospatial visualizations to navigate collections allows for more intuitive searching by location, and allow users to compare facets. While not appropriate for all kinds of searching, maps are useful for browsing and for location-based searches. Information is displayed in a visual way that allows users to explore and connect with other platforms for more information