MLA Newsletter
 Music Library Association
No. 150
September–October 2007
         
  MLA Logo

Outreach

The Educational Outreach Program Gears Up.
Learn How to Participate!

   
         
      Newport Meeting Poster

Have a Poster Session Idea?

Apply to Present a Poster Session at the Newport Meeting

 
 
 		        

Contents
President's Report
Committee to Offer Educational Outreach Program
Education Committee Issues Call for Poster Sessions
Have You Started Planning?
Mentors
In Recognition

 
Calls for Proposals
Members' Publications
New Members
Transitions
Calendar
Poster Session Application

 

 
President's Report
Philip Vandermeer, MLA President

Philip Vandermeer, MLA PresidentChange. How do you react to that word? Does it make the muscles in your body tense up? Do you get that anxious feeling in the pit of your stomach? Or, does it excite you to the point of liberation? (If the latter, you might be a library administrator.) I wish I could tell you that MLA is immune to change, though maybe that is not such a good thing. Our association offers a degree of continuity, to which those of us who are getting older can perhaps attest. And yet, while change is something we cannot ultimately avoid, we can make it work to our advantage.

One area where change can be advantageous is in making our association flexible enough to respond to new technologies, methodologies, and member interests. One initiative the MLA Board instituted last year was a task force to review the MLA committee structure. As the charge states, the major goal of the task force is “ensuring effectiveness in MLA’s committee structure and responsiveness to current trends in music librarianship” by “undertaking a review of the association’s current committee structure.” Co-chairs Amanda Maple and Jean Morrow and the other members of the task force are currently engaged in a thorough review of the charges and workings of all the committees in MLA. Over the next few months they will be seeking broad input from the membership culminating in a town meeting at Newport. I hope you will let the task force and me know what you are thinking. I assure you that nothing will be done precipitously and that any changes made will only be made after all interested members have been heard from.

One category of our administrative structure where change does not require a task force or constitutional convention is the MLA Roundtables. Here a group of six MLA members can petition the president to create a new roundtable around a common area of interest. I am happy to announce that the newest one to be formed is the Music Industry & Arts Management Roundtable chaired by Alicia Hansen.

The MLA Board met in June at the offices of A-R Editions in Middleton Wisconsin. Pat Wall, Jim Zychowicz, Matt Grzybowski, and the staff were gracious hosts once again, and allowed us to invade their space for four days with nary a complaint. One of the main functions of the spring meeting is to set the budget for the next fiscal year. Additionally, the Board voted to use $21,000 from the interest of the MLA Fund to provided added support for chapter grants, committee travel, outreach brochures, and development initiatives.

How many of you remember that MLA was awarded a grant totaling $379,000 from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 2004? This three-year grant was given to us to provide funding for the creation of the Index to Printed Music, currently being compiled by MLA’s subcontractor, The James Adrian Music Company. I am happy to say that the Mellon Foundation recently approved a two year, no-cost, extension of the grant so that the work on IPM can be completed. The fact that a granting agency like Mellon has confidence in our association is a huge benefit to us and bodes well for the future of our development activities. Paula Matthews, our new Development Officer, will also be a huge asset to our association’s development activities.

The fall season begins a time of great activity in MLA. The Board of Directors will be meeting in Chapel Hill, NC at the end of September. The association will also be searching for a new Assistant Convention Manager and a new Publicity Officer. Cathy Dixon and Anna Neal will co-chair the Assistant Convention Manager Search Committee with members Dana Jaunzemis, Jim Zychowicz, and Steve Henry. For the Publicity Officer, Ruthann McTyre will chair a committee consisting of Leslie Bennett, Tom Caw, Alan Karass, and Lee Richardson. There is also an election in the fall where you will be voting for three Members-at-Large to the Board of Directors, as well as a Recording Secretary and a President-Elect. Watch for two fall mailings: the ballot and conference materials. The ballot mailing will include information about each of the candidates running for the Board and the conference mailing will include all of the materials necessary to register for our upcoming meeting in Newport, Rhode Island.

And remember, our membership year is now concurrent with the fiscal year. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership, please do so now.

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MLA News
Committee to Offer Educational Outreach Program
Holling Smith-Borne, Chair, Education Committee

At the annual meeting in Newport, the Education Committee in conjunction with the Music OCLC Users Group (MOUG) will roll out a new initiative that will provide educational opportunities for music librarians, public librarians, library school students, and library support staff. A pre-conference workshop will be held on Feb. 20, 2008, which will offer basic music librarianship workshops to interested parties and concurrently train instructors to teach these workshops through their MLA chapters. The Educational Outreach Program will start with three topics: Music Reference, Music Cataloging, and Music Acquisitions/Collection Development. As the program progresses, additional workshop topics and a distance education component will be added. These workshops and instructor trainings will become regular offerings at MLA’s annual conference with hopes of expanding these offerings to both the American Library Association (ALA) and the Public Library Association (PLA) for inclusion in their annual conference programs.

Origins of the Program
The idea for this program began during a brainstorming session in an Outreach Subcommittee business meeting at the annual MLA conference in 2006. The subcommittee was looking for ways to outreach to groups who are underrepresented in MLA. Those groups include public librarians and library support staff whose job responsibilities include music. At the same time, an MLA member suggested that the Education Committee develop a series of educational workshops similar to those organized by ALA that would be offered regularly by MLA members. The Education Committee chair, Holling Smith-Borne, developed a proposal for a program whose main goal was to provide educational opportunities to groups that MLA would like to reach. He began circulating the idea to the MLA board and various MLA committees and subcommittees. Since several MLA members have been offering workshops on the basics of music librarianship, the Education Committee decided to draw on their expertise, organize these workshops, and provide training for new instructors. During the MLA annual meeting in 2007, potential instructors and chapter chairs attended an organizational session that further developed the program.

Chapter Chair, MOUG, and MLA Committee Involvement
Several MLA committees have been instrumental in developing the program, including the Outreach Subcommittee, the Library School Liaison Subcommittee, the Membership Committee, and the Public Library Committee. The MLA chapter chairs and MOUG have assisted with recruiting instructors for the program and providing valuable advice. Chapter involvement is crucial to the success of the program, and the Education Committee hopes that once the instructors are trained, chapters will begin offering these workshops to library schools, consortiums, and libraries. A goal for the program is to have two instructors per workshop topic for a total of six instructors from each chapter. Chapters will maintain control over the workshops, selecting how many of the workshops to offer, when and where to offer them, and how much time they would like to invest in outreach efforts to those potentially interested in these educational opportunities. The Education Committee will continue to train the instructors, organize the program, and maintain a wiki for instructor communication.

Coordinators of the Workshops
Coordinators for each of the three workshop topics have been seeking model workshop presenters for the pre-conference workshop and communicating with the members who want to participate in the “train the trainer” programming. The selected presenters, working with the coordinators and the first groups of trainees, will be developing learning outcomes for each of the workshops. The coordinators for the workshops are Greg MacAyeal (Acquisitions/Collection Development), David King (Reference), and Mac Nelson (Cataloging). Education Committee member Don Widmer and co-chair Joseph Hafner have been working with the coordinators and developing the pre-conference workshop schedule. During the pre-conference workshop, the instructors will observe and critique the model workshop, learn about teaching techniques and outreach methods, network and share syllabi with other instructors, and discuss ways to make a workshop shorter or longer depending on local need. Trainees are needed to participate in the pre-conference workshop. Watch for the pre-conference workshop flyer in your annual conference registration packet and let your chapter chair know about your interest in the program.

Music Librarianship 101
An equally important part of the pre-conference workshop is presenting the information to its primary audience. Anyone new to music librarianship or recently assigned to do music tasks as part of the position is encouraged to attend. The Education Committee and the Outreach Subcommittee hope that public librarians and library support staff will be highly represented at the pre-conference workshop but anyone needing a refresher on these topics is welcome to attend. During this special pre-conference rollout event, attendees will be able to choose two three-hour sessions from four options: the three primary topics (Cataloging, Reference, and Acquisitions/Collection Development), as well as a special session on customer service taught by Joseph Hafner. Please help us outreach to these potential attendees.

A-R Editions staff is helping the Education Committee develop a brochure that will be sent out to the targeted audience in the Rhode Island region. This brochure can be modified, reprinted and used by chapters to publicize their local workshops.

 

To Learn More
For more information about the Educational Outreach Program, contact one of the co-chairs of the Education Committee:

Holling Smith-Borne (holling.j.smith-borne@vanderbilt.edu)
Joseph Hafner (joseph.hafner@mcgill.ca)

MLA News

Education Committee Issues Call For Poster Sessions
Greg MacAyeal, Tammy Ravas, Poster Session Coordinators

Deadline: 1 November 2007

The Education Committee of MLA is calling for applications for Poster Session presentations at the MLA annual meeting in Newport, RI, February 17–24, 2008.

New for this year will be the creation of an online poster session. Posters selected for and displayed at the meeting will have a continued life in an online environment, where we will make every attempt to replicate the real poster experience. Please stay tuned to MLA-L for more information!!

Presentations will be considered that fit one of these broad categories:

  • Recently completed research
  • New and innovative library or music library projects
  • Imaginative, systematic efforts at resolving library or music library problems

Poster sessions place an expert about a given topic directly in front of conference attendees, many of whom will find great value in the ability to speak with the presenter. There is no limit to the range of subjects that can be presented as a poster; any topic can be arranged and displayed in a visually interesting manner.

Parameters for Presentation:
Poster sessions will fit on a 4'x 6' poster board and convey the subject using a combination of graphics, narrative text, and handouts. Applications requiring a network connection are not encouraged, as data ports are not always conveniently located. The presenter must make printed copies of the abstract available to those viewing the session.  A table for handouts, business cards, and sign-up sheets will be provided. The presenter(s) must be in attendance throughout the designated time to answer questions and elaborate on the presentation topic.

Guidelines for Submission:
Entries by an individual or group of librarians must be submitted on an official entry form via e-mail, U.S. Postal Service or fax. Submissions will be evaluated by the MLA Education Committee, sponsor of the event. Criteria for selection will include quality, innovation, and suitability to the Poster Session format.

There are only twelve slots available, so those interested are encouraged to be original, thorough, and early in their applications. Authors of the selected Poster Sessions will receive detailed guidelines concerning effective preparation and presentation.

An application is available on the last page of the newsletter. Direct questions to the coordinators at the addresses listed on the application.

Thank you and good luck!

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Have You Started Planning?

The MLA annual meeting will be held 17-24 February 2008 in Newport, Rhode Island.

The meeting Web site, designed by Amy Harrell of Trinity College, is already available. The site, which Trinity College has generously agreed to host, will be your one-stop location for information on the meeting. Although the information there is still preliminary, you will want to bookmark it and check back often as the meeting approaches. You can access the site at http://www.trincoll.edu/mla2008/ or through the link on the Music Library Association home page.

The Newport meeting logo included on the site is the work of the Graphic Design team at the College of the Holy Cross, where MLA member Alan Karass is the music librarian.

Mentors

Two Special Mentors
Renée McBride, Cataloging & Technical Services Librarian
Hollins University

I would like to honor two very special mentors in my MLA life (and beyond).

My first MLA meeting was 1993 in San Francisco. At that time, I was employed at The University of Oklahoma (OU), and in the fall of 1992 I attended a meeting of the Texas Chapter, where I met many wonderful people, including Judy Weidow, formerly the head of music cataloging at the University of Texas-Austin. At the end of that chapter meeting, Judy made it known that I was welcome to socialize with her and others in San Francisco, and oh my, did we all have fun! It was a huge help to know I had friends awaiting me when I arrived at my first MLA meeting. As many of you know, those firsts can be intimidating—even when you’re meeting with the friendliest and most generous people on the planet, something you don’t know when you are a first-timer. In addition, while working at OU, I had no one there to call on for help with music cataloging questions, and Judy functioned as an invaluable mentor in that capacity.
 
While at the 1993 San Francisco meeting, I met Paula Matthews. Some time after that meeting, Paula asked me if I’d like to serve on the Personnel Subcommittee. In my head I thought, Personnel? I only know cataloging! And promptly replied, “Yes, thank you for asking.” Well, who knew where that could lead? I subsequently chaired that subcommittee for one year during a time of transition; through that subcommittee’s work, I discovered an affinity and love for mentoring myself and ended up serving as MLA’s Placement Officer; which led to being asked to present information about the music library job market at a Personnel Subcommittee meeting in Las Vegas 2002; which led to being asked to tighten up that presentation for inclusion as a chapter in Careers in Music Librarianship II; and I suppose all of that combined to create the opportunity to serve as a Member-at-Large on the MLA Board. The lesson I see in this experience is, when offered an opportunity early in your career, don’t limit yourself with a (mis)perception of what you’re capable of or talented at. By accepting the opportunity that Paula offered me, my entire career as a librarian has been enhanced. By taking on an aspect of librarianship I didn’t work with at the time, I was subsequently able to envision myself taking on responsibilities in the workplace I might not have otherwise considered (this is more true today than ever before).

Thank you, Judy and Paula, from the bottom of my heart, for being generous, dear mentors and friends over the years. I hope I am passing along some of what you gave me.

If you would like to share an experience about someone who has been a mentor to you in your professional life, contact the newsletter editor. There is no minimum length: whether a mentoring moment or a life-long influence, we invite you to share it.

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In Recognition

Our Corporate Patrons and Corporate Members are important and valued members of the Music Library Association.  We appreciate their support of MLA, music libraries and music librarians.

Thank you for choosing to be a part of MLA!!

A-R Editions Inc.
aaa Music Hunter Distributing Company
Broude Brothers Limited
Carl Fischer LLC
The Cutting Corporation
Educational Music Service
ejazzlines.com
Emusicquest
G. Schirmer Inc/Associated Music Publishers
Gary Thal Music Inc.
Harmonie Park Press
Harrassowitz
J. W. Pepper & Son Inc.
Music Library Service Company
New World Records
OMI Old Manuscripts & Incunabula
Oxford University Press
Pro Quest CSA
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings/Smithsonian Global
Theodore Front Musical Literature, Inc.

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Announcements

Call for Contributions: Notes

The Music Library Association invites contributions to its quarterly journal, Notes. Founded in 1934 (1st series: 1934-1942), and beginning its 2nd series in 1943, the journal offers its readers interesting, informative, and well-written articles in the areas of music librarianship, music bibliography and discography, the music trade, and on certain aspects of music history. Both completed manuscripts and preliminary ideas on these and other topics are welcome. All submissions and inquiries should be directed to the editor.

For more information about Notes, see:
http://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/publications/notes.shtml

Editor:
James P. Cassaro
University of Pittsburgh, Music Library
B-30 Music Building
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
cassaro@pitt.edu

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Calls for Proposals

The Music Library Association invites proposals for books to be published in the MLA Index & Bibliography Series and the MLA Technical Reports Series
Index & Bibliography Series
Technical Reports Series

Since 1964, the MLA Index & Bibliography Series has published bibliographies, indexes, checklists, and other types of bibliographic guides to music and music literature. Proposals and manuscripts pertaining to all areas of musical study are welcome, including popular music, American music, new musicology, ethnomusicology, discographies, historical bibliographies, and collaborative projects, as well as those with potential to reach the broader musical public.

All submissions and inquiries should be directed to the series editor:

Mark A. Palkovic
University of Cincinnati Music Library
417 Blegen
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0152
w: 513-556-1964
E-mail: mark.palkovic@uc.edu

 

Since 1973, the MLA Technical Reports Series has provided thorough, in-depth professional resources covering various practical aspects of music librarianship, including cataloging, collection development, audio technology, facilities management, and preservation. Both completed manuscripts and preliminary ideas on these and other topics are welcome.

All submissions and inquiries should be directed to the series editor:


D.J. Hoek
Northwestern University Music Library
1970 Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208
E-mail: djhoek@northwestern.edu


 
Call for Book Reviewers

The Journal of Film Music, the first peer-reviewed journal focusing wholly on film music that offers an interdisciplinary forum for scholars in music, film, and other disciplines, invites new book reviewers. The journal welcomes international and broad-ranging perspectives on sources that are useful to or inspire film music studies. Sources include, but are not limited to, reference books, bibliographies, composer biographies, histories, analytical and theoretical studies, and essay collections. JFM publishes both book reviews (usually one or two books) and book review essays (usually two or more books).

For more information about JFM, please see the home page at http://www.ifms-jfm.org/

If interested, please reply to Melissa Ursula Dawn Goldsmith, Co-Reviews Editor, at mgolds2@lsu.edu, and write “JFM-Reviews” in the subject line. To give us an idea about the kind(s) of books you would be most interested in reviewing, or most able to review, please provide a cover letter with your contact information explaining your review interests and areas of specialization and a CV.

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Members’ Publications

Please send citations for items published or premiered in the past calendar year to the column editor, Gary Boye, via e-mail or snail mail at the address below. The deadline for submissions for issue no. 151 is October 15, 2007. Please follow the citation style employed below. You must be a current MLA member to submit citations.

Dr. Gary R. Boye
Appalachian State University
Music Library, Box 32026
Boone, NC 28608-2026
boyegr@appstate.edu

Articles and Chapters

Burbank, Richard (University of Illinois at Urbana)
“Wuorinen, Charles,” in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, Personteil 17, ed. Ludwig Finscher (Kassel: Barenreiter, 2007), 1193-1195.

Moore, Tom (Duke University)
“Music Scores on the Internet.” Flute Talk 26:8 (April 2007): 22-28.

“Sergio Roberto de Oliveira: an Interview.” Musica Brasileira (April 2007).
http://musicabrasileira.org/sergiodeoliveira/sro2007.html

“Second Helpings from Sergio Roberto de Oliveira,” 21st Century Music 14:6 (June 2007): 1-4.

“An Interview with Marlos Nobre.” Musica Brasileira (June 2007).
http://musicabrasileira.org/marlosnobre/

Rausch, Robin (Library of Congress Music Division)
“The MacDowells and Their Legacy,” in A Place for the Arts: The MacDowell Colony 1907-2007, ed. Carter Wiseman (Peterborough, NH: The MacDowell Colony, 2006), 50-132.

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New Members
Calendar

We welcome these new or returning MLA members!

Benjamin S. Beck, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Gabriel Levin Boyers, Schubertiade Music, Allston, MA
Amy E. Carter, Englewood, CO
Brenda Kay Chambers, Lawton, OK
Kathryn M. Dunn, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA
Sarah Grace Fraticelli, Rex, GA
Judith Frey, Boulder, CO
Fiona Grady, Carrollton, TX
Bret A. Heim, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL
Mahn-Hee Kang, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Elena Kolganova, Orlando Park, IL
Laurie Katherine Lake, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Anne Lockard, Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland, OH
Michelle Erin London, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Abigail Marie McBirnie, Cholsey, Oxon
Alex McGehee, Aiea, HI
Christy Ellen Meister, La Mesa, CA
Robert George Mullins, Malta, IL
Jorie Porter, University of Arizona, Mesa, AZ
Elizabeth Clara Sander, London, ON
Steven Spector, Falls Church, VA
Lisa Taranto, Sudbury, MA
Serena Jennifer Vaquilar, Fresno, CA
Thomas Lee Walker II, Madison Heights, VA
Lydia Claire Welhan, Bloomington, IN
Randy J. Westbrook, Richmond, KY

 

5–6 October 2007
Atlantic Chapter Meeting
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
 

11–13 October 2007
Midwest Chapter Meeting
Cincinnati, Ohio
 

15 October 2007
Submissions Due
MLA Newsletter no. 151
 

18–20 October 2007
Southeast Chapter Meeting
Jacksonville (FL) Public Library
 

22–23 October 2007
New England Chapter Meeting
Newport, Rhode Island
 

 
Transitions

Dena Adams, Project Assistant, The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History
Rebecca Belford, Music Librarian (Cataloging/Reference), University of Oregon
Christopher Blackmon, Orchestra Librarian, Louisville Orchestra
Stephanie Bonjack, Music Librarian, University of Southern California
Kristen Borysewicz, Reference Librarian/Bibliographer for Fine Arts & Communications, Univ. of North Dakota
Jeanette Casey, Head of the Mills Music Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Keith Cochran, Music Collection Development Librarian and Associate Director, Indiana University
Sebastian Derry, Media Services Librarian, Temple University
Catherine Dixon, Head, Reader Services Section, Music Division, Library of Congress
Kirstin Dougan, Music User Services Coordinator, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Denise Gallo, Head, Acquisitions and Processing Section, Music Division, Library of Congress
Lindsay Hansen, Music & Media Librarian, California State University, Northridge.
Amanda Harlan, Assistant Librarian, Music Metadata Librarian, 2-year Appointment, Baylor University
Stephen Henry, Music Librarian, University of Maryland
Michael Hurley, MultiMedia Librarian, Youngstown State University
Anna Karvellas,  Managing Editor, The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History
Beth Kelly, Technical Services Asst. V/Music Cataloger, Cornell University
Morris Levy, Senior Music Cataloger, Northwestern University
Jennifer Matthews, Music and Performing Arts Librarian, University of Notre Dame
Jenée Morgan, Assistant Catalog Librarian, Berklee College of Music
Robert O'Brien, Head Librarian, The Cleveland Orchestra
Thomas Pease, Sound Recordings Cataloger, Library of Congress (National Audio-Visual Conservation Center)
Jennifer Post, Information Services Librarian - Music Specialty, Mansfield University
Misti Shaw, Music & Performing Arts Librarian, DePauw University

Member News

Lindsay Hansen, Elected Vice Chair/Chair-Elect, Southern California Chapter, MLA
Verletta Kern, Elected  Member-at-Large for Membership, Southern California Chapter, MLA

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POSTER SESSION APPLICATION

Deadline: 1 November 2007
Applications must be completed in full and may be submitted via email, fax or in hard copy to either of the Session Coordinators. Selections will be made and presenters notified by Thanksgiving.


Session Title:
Presenter(s) Name and Institutional Affiliation:
Category:
_____ Recently completed research
_____ Innovative library projects
_____ Solutions to practical library problems

Print Abstract, single spaced, in the space below. NB: The abstract should be substantially the same when provided at the conference, so please consider it carefully as you write.
 
 
 
 

 

Name of applicant:
Address:
 
Telephone:
Fax:
Email:


Questions and submissions may be made to Poster Session Coordinators:

Greg MacAyeal
Director, Performing Arts Library
Roosevelt University
430 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
312/341-3648 (phone); 312/341-6394 (fax)
gmacayea@roosevelt.edu

Tammy Ravas
Fine Arts Librarian and Media Coordinator
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
The University of Montana
32 Campus Drive #9936
Missoula, MT 59812-9936
406/243-4402
tammy.ravas@umontana.edu

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