Staff Papers
Music on the National Bibliographic Database
Paper presented by Pam Dunlop, Cataloguing Projects at the IAML (Australian Branch) Biennial Conference, Adelaide, September 1994.
The paper I gave at 1991 National Cataloguing Conference [1] talked about today's climate of shrinking funds and increasing pressure to maximise use of existing collections and how, in this context, networking becomes a viable and essential tool for dissemination of information regarding holdings of specialist collections. Additionally, the development of improved searching packages such as Supersearch [and now its user friendly sister Sofi] on ABN, and individually tailored on-line public catalogues permits us to access information in catalogue records through non-traditional access points. Around this time discussion on the appropriateness of the National Bibliographic Database (NBD) for recording bibliographic information, and thus building up knowledge about the Distributed National Collection (DNC) specifically for music, was also being raised in other forums.
Mary O'Mara, in her paper Networks and Music Libraries [2], presented at the IAML (Australian Branch) in 1992, outlined forums which generated this discussion; the 1990 Ross report [3] which recommended that a working party be established to "recommend to the National Library of Australia ways in which access to printed and recorded music may be improved" and how the NBD could improve its coverage of music; the Towards Federation 2001 Conference; and Eric Wainwright's initiative in seeking music specialists' support for proposals for Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET) funds to enhance national access to music holdings.
So where are we in 1994?
The Ross Report: Strategies have been put into place to improve access to music on the NBD with retrospective files from Australian libraries being identified and targeted. Plans for conversion of NUCOMUSIC have not proceeded to-date, following a survey of contributors. Some contributors had concerns about the standard of data in the files, while others thought they would prefer to contribute their library's data through a retrospective load in order to provide up-to-date information about their collections. Retrospective loads for music from Australian libraries include Queensland University, State Library of Queensland, Nunawading Public Library. Others are currently under consideration and negotiation (for example, University of Adelaide and Monash University files).
The Ross Report also recommended that the National Library and music research institutions hold a round table to establish actions which could further maximise access to information regarding the nation's music collections. The National Library is currently calling for issues concerning the Distributed National Collection (DNC) to be addressed at a Round Table on Music, to be held later this year. Bibliographic access is seen as central to these discussions. IAML (Australian Branch) has been asked to assist in identifying issues for discussion and to participate at the Round Table. (Discussion on DNC issues can now be accessed through the discussion list DNC-L set up by the National Library on the Internet).
Towards Federation 2001: The Final report of TF2001 was published in 1993 [4]. This includes Working Paper no. 10: Music and Sound Recordings prepared by members of the Working Group, convened by Gordon Abbott. Among other things, this paper outlines existing problems related to bibliographic access and provides a good overview of central issues for music. A major outcome of this conference was the establishment of the Working Group on High Priority Cross-Sectoral Projects which raised funds and provided oversight of projects of "high priority" and "cross sectoral benefit".
A subsequent Towards Federation 2001 Review Meeting [5] was held December 1993 which reviewed progress 1992-1993, and reworked many of the resolutions. Coming from this forum the most relevant of these to this group are:
- RC4 - That the NLA develop a strategy through which other organisations are encouraged to provide more effective bibliographic access to their Australian documentary collections by cataloguing and indexing both current and retrospective materials, and by converting significant retrospective files for contribution to the NBD. Such encouragement may take the form of assistance with training, support staff, financial incentives, or the funding of special projects.
- RC5 - That the ABN Network Committee consider the possibility of funding the conversion and loading to the NBD of data resulting from projects designed to improve access to Australia's documentary heritage.
- RC15 - That the National Film and Sound Archive and other appropriate organisations in the Australian film, video and sound fields continue to investigate the desirability and feasibility of greater integration of their bibliographic activities in the longer term.
At this review meeting the Working Group on High Priority Cross-Sectoral Projects reported that $133 500 had been raised and $55 000 committed to projects at the time of the meeting. The Working Group invited participants to suggest strategies for alternative ways of attracting funding for desirable projects, as it is recognised that it may be difficult to continue to raise money by seeking funds from institutions up until the year 2001.
DEET Funds - Following Eric Wainwright's initial proposal for seeking funds from DEET for music bibliographic projects, the University of Adelaide provided leadership of a consortium of institutions for the Music Conversion Project. (Participating institutions were University of Western Australia, Monash University, University of Adelaide, Sydney University, Edith Cowan University and the National Library of Australia). Funding of $100 000 was forth-coming, with each institution participating being required to match funds provided, dollar for dollar. As part of the project a survey of music holdings in libraries was to be conducted; the NLA undertook to give priority to mounting music files on ABN; funds were set aside to subsidise the conversion and mounting of tapes; and consortium members were provided with funds to add records or holdings for music to the NBD.
While some of this activity has not yet been completed an interim report to DEET indicates that as of 1st March 1994 participants had added bibliographic records to ABN for 13,833 titles; of these 7019 were new titles which had not been previously recorded (the remainder were added as holdings records). As well, bibliographic records for 330 discs were added to the NBD.
What records are currently on the NBD?
National agency tape loads, particularly from Library of Congress; and ABN participants (individual and consortia eg. CLANN) continue to build up records on the database. Australian retrospective file loads carried out in the past 2-3 years have increased data available for copy cataloguing, and for information about Australian music libraries holdings.
MUSIC SCORES Sept 1994 1993
Records 155 807 124 303
Holdings 120 462
Australian imprint 30 665 30 416
holdings
SOUND RECORDINGS*
Records 231 428 170 470
Holdings 131 343
NUC:D Holdings 50 025
Australian imprint 50 218 48 982
holdings
NUC:D Holdings 32 589
* A high proportion of records are spoken word recordings. NUC:D (national union catalogue of library materials for people with disabilities) holdings gives some indication of the proportion of non-music records on the database.
Who is contributing to the NBD?
Apart from regular national agency tape loads (Library of Congress; music catalogued for the Australian National Bibliography; etc.), an OCLC file of music sound recordings was recently received by ABN. This file is the first issue of 11 000 records comprising original LC cataloguing data and records which LC used for copy cataloguing on the OCLC database. This file has still to be loaded.
Other music data which has been contributed or loaded includes that from New Zealand Bibliographic Network; CLANN; La Trobe University; Queensland State Library; Queensland University (ca. 15 500 records), LISWA., and Northern Territory Library Service, as well as those libraries who were part of the DEET project (as mentioned earlier).
While I can't provide statistics for other libraries, you may be interested in the National Library's cataloguing activity on ABN for its music collections.
Current acquisitions:
Australian music is given priority, and receives full cataloguing, including LCSH and DDC. Eligible material is also listed in the Australian National Bibliography.
Overseas blanket order material is searched against ABN and if copy data is identified, holdings added. Items for which no records are found have minimum level full records created and holdings added. If a national agency record is subsequently received, this will replace the minimum level full record.
Retrospective collections:
Retrospective Australian music is given full level cataloguing. However, with extensive existing backlogs, we have approached these using a project approach. This has been remarkably successful, seeing the collection steadily integrated and accessible through ABN and the Library's OPAC. With the DEET initiative this year we have completed integration of the Beggs collection, and much of the Australian songs run (particularly the 1960+ ) has been catalogued.
Overseas blanket order material acquired mid-1970s to-date has not generally been classified, and not all items are under full control. In 1990 a project was undertaken to search all blanket order material received to that time first against ABN; and those not found were then searched against the OCLC database through MICROCON, a PC based batch request system. (This was prior to the availability of the OCLC CD-ROM or direct on-line searching)
At that time 10 000 items were searched, with about a 32% hit rate on ABN, and 48% for OCLC. In total 7 000 records/holdings were added to ABN. A residue of ca. 3 000 items remain to be catalogued. Blanket order material received 1990-1992/93 has subsequently been brought under control as part of the DEET project. In this project 1018 items were searched and the ABN hit rate rose to 40% (415), OCLC (searched on line) 42% (430) and the remaining 173 items were originally catalogued.
Collection level entries describe still uncatalogued components of the collection. These are generally related to genre or named collections.
In all, about 55 000 records for printed music have been added to ABN.
How is ABN improving access to international data?
ABN recognises that there is still a need to improve access to bibliographic records for music and sound recording formats. Files from OCLC, RLIN and Harrasowitz have been considered in the past. Participants can search OCLC on-line and request records, which are loaded onto ABN when received on a batch file. (The National Library uses this facitlity, searching OCLC on-line through a modem).
Negotiations with RLIN continue for bulk file loads and exchange of data for all formats of material, although bibliographic data for printed music and CJK records have the highest priority. Unfortunately, with such an arrangement, the NBD has less data to offer RLIN in return, although they are interested in certain subsets of our data.
In recent months ABN has provided a gateway for their users to access AARNet which, in turn, permits access to catalogues and databases such as CARL-Uncover through the Internet.
Developing from this, ABN has negotiated access to RLIN through an ABN gateway to the Internet, by purchasing a bulk subscription to RLIN data on behalf of its users. This is a special arrangement between RLIN and ABN. Such an agreement will permit ABN users to access RLIN, through an automatic Telnet link and RLIN signon, to search for and identify bibliographic records. These records may then be either down-line load using an ftp command, or the record screen printed for copy cataloguing. Under this special arrangement ABN participants will pay the cost of the search, although there would be no charge for the record load to ABN. There would be the usual charge for records from ABN for local systems.
How is ABN addressing database problems related to quality control?
Recent developments in improving quality control of the ABN database and of direct relevance to music materials, include:
USMARC format integration. The Library of Congress announced that it will introduce format integration in two stages. The first stage will consist of changes to variable fields, and ABN programming for corresponding system changes have been completed. All variable fields for music and sound recordings have been implemented and documentation distributed in the ABN Summary of changes to manuals.
LC will implement the second stage of format integration December 1995. This stage will include changes to the record Leader and control fields.
NBD Quality Improvement Program. The entire QIP budget for 1993/94 was spent on authority control contracts. Among other work undertaken, steady and useful progress has been made on access to famous and prolific composers and their musical works, with the following composers covered to date: J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Dvorak, Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Prokofiev, Ravel, Rossini, Saint-Saens, Schubert, Schumann, Vivaldi.
Duplicate record removal has commenced. The program has included a number of duplicate music records. Holdings are automatically mapped to the record to be retained on the database.
What standards are required for cataloguing music on the NBD?
ABN uses the following standards: AACR2; Library of Congress Subject Headings, Dewey Decimal Classification or Library of Congress Classification Schedule M, Library of Congress Names Authorities for establishing headings and uniform titles.
Both AACR2 and ABN allow for certain flexibility in the amount of detail provided for a catalogue record. ABN lists standards for Interim records; Minimum level full records (i.e. with fixed fields) and High level records. High level records will not be bumped by incoming national agency records. The standard, therefore approaches that used for national agency records. High level records require the appropriate authority work to be carried out in the name authority file. Facilities such as UPGRADE, CLONE and INSERT make it easier to input bibliographic data directly onto the NBD.
It may be of interest to note that a Core Bibliographic Record for Music Task Force Group, part of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging in the United States, has now drafted standards for core level records for both music and sound recordings. These core records fall between the ABN minimum and high level record requirements, and were developed in consultation with music cataloguing librarians in the U.S. The core level records contain data elements judged essential for both identification and access; although emphasis is on the streamlined assignment of subject and descriptive access points. Comments are currently being assessed on the proposed standards.
How will NDIS developments assist with data creation on the NBD?
The National Document and Information System (NDIS) is a working name for the current project to redevelop ABN, OZLINE, NZBN and KIWINET.
- The System will not be MARC based although it will accept and provide data in this format. This means that the system will be able to more easily accept records from "non-standard" sources.
- There will be improved facilities for data input. These will include uploading, improved matching, merging and quality control, particularly for authority files.
- Library of Congress Name Authorities and LCSH will be available on-line, and separate to the NDIS authority files which are by their nature dynamic and therefore often require interpretation to choose a correct heading. Other thesaurus will also be able to be loaded.
In summary:
- The NBD coverage of data for music and sound recordings is increasing. Links to overseas databases will improve this coverage.
- Standards provide scope for flexibility in the level of detail provided in records
- Improved facilities make it easier to input bibliographic data
- SUPERSEARCH and the user friendly version SOFI facilitate searching of specific formats on the NBD - these systems also exploit fixed field data (eg. form of composition)
- OPACS have increased search capacity to maximise use of MARC coding
- Future developments for NDIS will provide greater flexibility in choice of system for data creation, yet not preclude access to this information
FOOTNOTES
[1] Dunlop, Pam. Do you have a song about a mother and a luggage van? cataloguing special materials in an on-line environment. Cataloguing Australia. 17 (3/4) 1991.
[2] O'Mara, Mary. Networks and Music Libraries. Continuo 21 (2) 1992.
[3] Australia. Working Party on Library Provision in Higher Education Institutions. Library provision in higher education institutions / National Board of Employment, Education and Training. Canberra : Australian Govt. Pub.Service, 1990.
[4] Towards federation 2001 : linking Australians and their heritage : a national conference on access to Australia's recorded documentary heritage 23-26 March 1992. Final report ... Canberra : National Library of Australia, 1993.
[5] Towards federation 2001 : linking Australians and their heritage :review meeting 9-10 December, 1993 : report. Canberra : National Library of Australia, 1994.
