Cataloguing Outside the Box

A Practical Guide to Cataloguing Special Collections Materials

Patricia Falk, Stefanie Hunker

• Publisher: Chandos Publishing
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN: 9781843345541
• eBook ISBN: 9781780630267
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Library & Information Science
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

A practical guide to cataloguing and processing the unique special collections formats in the Browne Popular Culture Library (BPCL) and the Music Library and Sound Recordings Archives (MLSRA) at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) (e.g. fanzines, popular sound recordings, comic books, motion picture scripts and press kits, popular fiction). Cataloguing Outside the Box provides guidance to professionals in library and information science facing the same cataloguing challenges. Additionally, name authority work for these collections is addressed.- Provides practical guidelines and solutions for cataloguing challenges- Draws on the authors' varied experiences with these special materials- Addresses specific, unique special collections materials

1

Self-published music scores and recordings

Introduction

The New Music and Arts Festival at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) began in 1980. Each year in October, the festival includes a number of master classes, art exhibits, and performances which feature musicians and artists. Students at BGSU participate in performances and attend master classes and sessions during the festival. Music scores and other media are submitted to the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music (MACCM), are reviewed, and a select number of scores are sent to performance faculty for additional review. Finally, the approved scores are distributed to student and professional artists for performance at the festival.

The scores and other media submitted each year are either returned to the composer if he/she so chooses or sent to the MLSRA to be catalogued and added to the New Music Festival Archive Collection. These materials are typically self-published scores and recordings, though some well- known composers have also had their works performed at the festivals, including Philip Glass, John Cage, Joan Tower, and Pauline Oliveros, to name a few. Since the festival began, the collection has amassed more than 6,500 scores and over 2,000 recordings. It is available for anyone to listen to and view. Circulation is available to local BGSU patrons, if permitted by the MACCM. Many of the scores are not available elsewhere, and they include a wide range of genres and instrumentation.

Library of Congress (LC) call numbers are assigned to the scores and accession numbers are assigned for all other formats, such as CDs, LPs, cassettes, DVDs, and VHS tapes. For example, for a cassette tape a call number would look something like NMFCAS-0001, and for a DVD something like NMFDVD-0001. All media formats that accompany scores are linked to the score without creating a separate bibliographic record. Any media formats without an accompanying score are catalogued individually in OCLC. Authority records are also created for each name not already established in OCLC. This aspect will be covered later, in Chapter 9 on authority work.

This chapter will cover the various types of scores and recordings found in the New Music Festival Archive Collection and the ways they are catalogued at BGSU.

Challenges

One of the main challenges in cataloguing this collection is the lack of information. Typical omissions include, but are not limited to: full author’s name, date of composition, full title, instrumentation, and publisher. Because many of the scores are self-published, some available information is simply not included in the bibliographic record, which is current practice among cataloguers. Another challenge is assigning subject headings for unusual instrumentation not typically covered in LC subject headings. The final challenge is in housing the scores to put them on the shelves. Most of the scores are placed in Tyvek envelopes of one of three different sizes, depending upon the size of the score. However, a number of scores in odd sizes require custom envelopes, which are made by our conservator at a nearby site.

Cataloguing self-published music scores at BGSU

When the scores and recordings arrive at the MLSRA they are usually in alphabetical order by composer’s last name. Recordings, videos, and other items are separated from the scores and put in alphabetical order as well. This makes it easier for the cataloguer to organize and catalogue the materials, particularly when it comes to creating authority records. Also, some information is usually provided by the MACCM staff, which typically includes composer, title, instrumentation, date of composition, and possibly date of birth of the composer. This is also helpful for cataloguing, as the information is not always visible on the item itself.

The MARC format for scores is a long-established one. The collection is catalogued using the scores format, but as a type “d” manuscript format, since the scores are unpublished.

Tables 1.1 and 1.2 show some of the standard fixed and variable field codes used in cataloguing this collection. The left column lists the MARC fields, while the ri...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of tables
• List of examples
• About the authors
• Preface
• Chapter 1: Self-published music scores and recordings
• Chapter 2: Popular music compact discs
• Chapter 3: Fanzines
• Chapter 4: Comics and graphic novels
• Chapter 5: Special periodicals
• Chapter 6: Popular fiction
• Chapter 7: Movie, television, and radio scripts
• Chapter 8: Press kits
• Chapter 9: Authority work
• Chapter 10: Conclusion
• Appendix 1
• Appendix 2
• Appendix 3
• Appendix 4
• Appendix 5
• Appendix 6
• Appendix 7
• Appendix 8
• Appendix 9
• Glossary
• Works cited
• Index