Transcript Hartt Composers Database

Hartt Composers
Database
Jennifer Olson, Senior Cataloger
Sam Cook, Public Services Librarian
Allen Memorial Library, The Hartt School,
University of Hartford
NEMLA Fall Meeting, October 16, 2009
Lamont Library, Harvard University
Allen Memorial Library
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Staff: 2 professional FT, 3 paraprofessional FT
Open 84.5 hours per week
22,000 books and bound journals
400 print and electronic journal titles
40,000 scores
22,000 sound recordings, including recordings of Hartt
students and faculty.
• Naxos, DRAM, and Classical Music Library
• 900 videocassettes and DVDs.
The value of a
library is in its
unique holdings
Possibilities
 Finding
aid
 Bibliography
 Enhance
the catalog
 Searchable
database
Considerations
Audience/Users

Who are they?
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How do they look for music?
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What do they want?

Streamlined searching

Simplified results
Why not enhance the catalog?
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Separate database gets attention

Promotional tool
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Easier to manipulate and improve
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Easier to navigate for users
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Single location summary of a work
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Cost and time
Process
Possible Content
Current faculty:
6 composers, 184+ works
Emeritus faculty:
2 composers (1 active), 102+ works
Faculty Deceased/Unknown Status:
3 composers, 46 works
Other:
Visiting faculty (past and present), lesser-known
past faculty, notable alumni
Current Content
Current faculty:
Few select samples, fit with workflow
Emeritus faculty:
Complete works of James Sellars (inactive)
Select works of Edward Diemente
Deceased/Unknown Status:
Few select samples
Total: 156 items*
* Not all are complete entries, more entries added weekly
Database decisions
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Microsoft Access database with Active Server
Pages (ASP)
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Which fields?
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What goes in the fields?
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Search interface

Results display

Linking of results
Fields: Title

No uniform titles needed
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Mostly distinctive titles
 Users not likely to search by title
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Alphabetizing title field for cleanerlooking display
 Title displays in first column in
results
Fields: Composer
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Only standardized field
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Authorized
form of
name
Fields: Copyright
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Emphasizes to students concept of
copyright and the composer’s rights
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Gives some idea of time frame if year
of composition is not in annotation
Fields: Instrumentation
Search interface view, instrumentation:
Results screen view, instrumentation:
Fields: Publishing Information

Place of publication
 Publisher
 Facilitate
finding parts
 Cachet of “published”
 Unpublished/published
Fields: Library Specific
 Call
number in library
 Format
 Link
held
to catalog
Fields: Description
 Overview
(Tonal? Aleatoric?
Sonata?)
 Skills
required to perform
 Unique
features
Fields: Description

Call number of recording if available
(often the only recording available
anywhere for many works in the
database)

Timing, date of composition,
dedication when applicable/available
Description
Fields: Special Techniques or Concepts
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Aleatoric or indeterminate elements
Unspecified instruments
Extended techniques
Electronics (Includes tape, sound
processing, amplification, etc.)
Theatrical elements
Data Entry Form
Things to Think About
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Naming conventions and composer
names with diacritics
Sorting capabilities/priorities
Initial articles
Interface design
Searching instructions
Things to Think About
 Approval
to go live from
library web committee and
library Head
 Publicity/Launch
 Composer support
The Interface
The Code
•Code Used: HTML (overall structure), CSS (formatting display),
ASP (dynamic elements), SQL (database queries), ADO
(communicating with database)
•Good site for learning about code: http://w3schools.com
•Google searches work great for finding solutions
The Interface
The Display
Database
•Tabs for easy navigation and quick access to other options
•Instruments in score order, followed by vocal and other
•For an instrument search, simply click on the appropriate checkbox and
click on Search
•Default sort: AlphaTitle
•Default # of Players is between 1 and 1000 players (Focus on chamber
music)
•Designed to look similar to Koha OPAC
•Clicking on title retrieves item record for that title
•Click on desired heading to change sort order
•Current issue: Reordering loads new page, rather than just changing
order on current page
•Instrumentation field used here separate from fields used for searching.
Allows for more specific instrumentation to be listed in actual record.
•Library call Number link connects user to item record in Koha OPAC
•Future enhancement: Make sure all recording call numbers in Notes
link to item record in OPAC
•Possible enhancement: One page preview of scores
•Possible enhancement: Audio clip of work
•Users can use the OPAC item record to find more detailed bibliographic
information as well as to determine availability of work
•Note the similar blue coloring in the top bar
•Possible enhancement: Link from OPAC record to Hartt Composer
Database record
•For multiple instruments, simply check off multiple boxes. This will
search for all works that include both clarinet and a keyboard
instrument.
•As one would expect, a search for more instruments retrieves a smaller
list
•Note that all instruments selected are listed at the top of the search
•Minimum and Maximum number of Players fields can be used to help
form a chamber group
•The above example shows a clarinet and viola player who want to form
a chamber group somewhere between a quintet and octet
•Possible enhancement: Limit by number of players on any given
instrument, not just total number of players
•This type of search will retrieve much more focused results
•As more works are entered into database, more of these types of
searches will yield quality results
•Full item record shows complete instrumentation, which should always
include the instruments that were originally selected
•One quirk of the system can be seen by selecting a large number of
instruments
•This work is almost always retrieved (unless a vocal part is selected) as
it is for any instrument or instruments. As such, all instruments are
checked off in database entry for this work.
•This quirk is likely to show up more than once with contemporary
music
•The second section is the Composer Browse. This is useful for a user
who already has a particular composer in mind.
•Future enhancement: Include this list as a drop-down menu in
Instrument Search to allow users to limit by composer in addition to
instrumentation and number of players
•Individual composer entries include brief bio, picture, and works list
•Possible enhancements: Separate works by genre, similar to New Grove
•Users can also access composer pages by clicking on composer’s name
on search results page or in individual item record
•Last section is About Composer Database
•This section will probably be expanded to have more useful information
Future Changes
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More works
Notable alumni composers
University web redesign may impact look
Koha impact
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Composer-submitted annotations and
biographies, sample pages of works
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Tracing of student/teacher relationships
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Enhanced functionality
http://library.hartford.edu/allenlibrary/
composers/composers.asp
•This is a fully functional database, but there will be some further
improvements before we go live.
•We would be glad to share the code as long as enhancements are sent
back to us and you let us know when you go live.
•Feel free to email suggestions and/or comments to either Jennifer
([email protected]) or Sam ([email protected])
Similar Projects
Allen Library Course Reserves
http://library.hartford.edu/allenlibrary/libraryreserves.asp
University of Hartford Libraries Subject Guides
http://library.hartford.edu/allenlibrary/bigdatabase/guidelist.asp
University of Hartford Libraries Database Locator (not yet live)
http://library.hartford.edu/webdatahome2.asp