Dave Lampson wrote: >It is surprising. I've always seen a librarian as a curator of >information in its various forms, just like a museum curator. I >guess I was wrong. There is a difference between archives and libraries. The trend in libraries seems to be more towards the grocery store mentality...if it doesn't circulate, get rid of it. That is true for public libraries as well as "research" libraries. This is what is being taught in library schools and is more and more, becoming practice. I recently posed questions regarding this on the email list of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections. Most of us on the list are, or have been, archivists. The stories of collections being refused, things being sold are horrific. I sincerely believe that libraries have lost their way. As for archives, they just haven't discovered cost recovery and/or the need for it. Many archives will no longer accept collections unless an endowment comes along with the materials. When we had an active collecting program here at our University, I would often have the opportunity to acquire materials refused by other collections...in at least one instance...some materials made their way to releases on Pearl and Arbiter. I may have mentioned another example, a collector friend of mine recently passed away unexpectedly. Due to the changes in our library, his widow donated the collection to my record company, a 501 c 3. I now have a garage full of about 7,000 tapes of broadcast and inhouse recording, and a sizable collection of LPs of esoteric repertoire. >I would consider just about anything non-commercial in Karl's >collection (still browsing) as being rare, though as Karl points out not >necessarily valuable. Fortunately, I would say that I have very few unique items. I say fortunately, because for me, I don't like to have anything unique. I believe that one of the best means to preservation is having duplicate copies available. And on the subject of audio preservation...if any of you have the interest... http://www.clir.org/pubs/issues/issues42.html#audio http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub137/pub137.pdf http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub133/pub133.pdf http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub135abst.html http://www.arl.org/preserv/sound_savings_proceedings/miller.html The issues are so complex and most of the energy being spent is on discussion! On the other hand, at least the issues are being discussed. However, while attention is finally being brought to these issues, places like our University are taking GIANT steps backwards. >time. As proud as I am of my collection, it's obvious to me that Karl's >collection probably has more value, at least in terms of preservation >and probably in terms of research as well. The question of research is something I have considered. Obviously our university Library sees research in more of the grocery store mentality...if it isn't being used this year, get rid of it. However, a case can be made for there being too much available information. I am reminded of all of those seemingly endless doctoral committees where I had to read dissertations on Beethoven, Schubert, etc. If it was a DMA in performance...and the teacher wanted them to do something about "modern" music...well it was about the Barber Piano Sonata. It would seem to me that access to a bunch of recordings and scores of the music of a fine composer like Roger Goeb, won't mean much in the mind of our head librarian, unless several people are writing about Goeb...but then, nobody will unless they can find the material, assuming it survives...the catch 22. Sorry for dragging on about libraries, but I sincerely believe they have lost their way. They will never be able to compete with Yahoo and Google...or even Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I consider what information Dave has given us all. Classical.net is something a library could have done, but they don't have the technical expertise and subject background and interest to do so. My collection is something a library could have done...and was doing until we got a new director...I should add that other recordings archives have gotten the short end of the stick...Yale, Stanford et al. By the way, if you have been reading this thread...I was pleased to hear back from the University of Iowa...they are interested in the Clapp recordings I transferred...however, I should add, that it turns out I know the music librarian there...she is from the old school... Karl