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Service Spotlight: MLA President
Dear MLA Colleagues,
As part of our rotating board of directors column, I’m returning to offer some updates about recent activities. We held a series of meetings in October, where we reviewed your officer/editor/committee chair reports and subsequently read your annual reports. The creativity and ingenuity in our association is truly inspiring. I offer just a few highlights of recent activity.
This year, for the first time, the board voted to award five travel grants (from a newly-endowed fund) for paraprofessionals and public librarians to attend the annual meeting of MLA in Salt Lake City. Thanks are due to Chris Durman, who chaired the MLA Conference Travel Grants Committee (which includes the Freeman awards). Thanks also to a very generous anonymous donor. All award recipients will be honored and introduced at the membership business meeting in Salt Lake City and via Zoom.
Earlier in the summer we approved the exciting annual meeting program. We still plan to meet in person with a hybrid streaming component and safety measures in place (social distancing, masking, and verification of vaccinations or negative COVID test results). We are monitoring changing conditions and if we are forced to re-examine our plans we will communicate with the membership early and often.
The board also voted to subsidize an anti-racism workshop. Many of us attended (on November 10) the Groundwater Racial Equity and Inclusion workshop, organized by Sara Beutter Manus and Matthew Vest (under the auspices of the Education Committee). Our eloquent facilitators shared data that starkly denoted structural inequities in policing, nutrition, healthcare, housing, hiring, and education (to name just a few). Racism pervades all areas of life, and many of us left thinking deeply about next actions we can take for MLA. Equity and inclusion in our association’s leadership and in our individual institutions’ leadership and throughout the employment ranks, improves the quality of our workforce and the profession. Not to mention improving the lives and welfare of our esteemed colleagues, family members, and friends, who suffer this constant discrimination. It is incumbent on all of us to be better, do better, and make our profession better. We welcome discussions and action plans in many venues and from any and all members. Let’s hold each other accountable by, for example, revisiting outdated hiring policies (not all positions require multiple advanced degrees), for these are but one example of a structural requirement that disadvantages many.
Diversity in leadership of MLA: we are working toward more transparency in our practices around appointments, and toward that end, the 2022 Nominating Committee Chair, Bruce Evans, will be sending an open call for new members before the annual meeting. Please do consider volunteering and putting forth names for the committee and for future election slates. We are approaching the last year (2022) of our student/early career representative pilot program, and the board will evaluate and consider making it permanent thereafter.
Strategic Planning: Look for another town hall in January that will feature values definitions (that we all helped formulate in the shared values sessions) and an update about further board activities. We will have a new Strategic Plan (for 2022-2030) in Spring 2022, and I thank Holling Smith-Borne’s task force and DeEtta Jones and Associates. Most importantly, all of you.
Also in 2022, watch for a new round of the climate survey study project (we are on a 3-year cycle). This will come from the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion subcommittee (soon to be restructured).
I hope that you filled out the survey disseminated by the Committee Recruitment Task Force recently. It will inform their spring report with an eye to making committee service involvement more transparent and equitable, tying into our shared values and aligning with our mission.
Lastly, but certainly not least, we’ve elected new board members who will take office in 2022: Paula Hickner, President-Elect/Vice President; Veronica A. Wells, Recording Secretary; Sonia Archer-Capuzzo, Member-at-Large (Assistant Planning Officer), Katie Buehner, Member-at-Large (Assistant Fiscal Officer), and Ray Heigemeir (Assistant Parliamentarian). It continues to be a distinct honor to serve as your President, and we welcome this new board.
Respectfully yours,
Liza Vick,
President, MLA
Introducing the Instruction Consultation Service
The Instruction Consultation Working Group of the Instruction Subcommittee has launched the Instruction Consultation Service (ICS). ICS provides MLA members with support regarding all areas of instruction as it pertains to music librarianship. Experienced librarians across many areas of expertise within MLA have volunteered to be consultants.
The desire for this service was the result of several formal meetings and informal conversations with Instruction Subcommittee members on ways to support MLA members with their teaching. The goal was to create something that could serve those who are new to teaching, those who have not taught for awhile, as well as those who have been teaching for some time but would like feedback and input. A working group was formed and a launch planned for 2020, but the project went on pause once the pandemic hit. In summer 2021, the working group reconvened and decided to pilot this service for two years to see if there is considerable demand to keep it running.
Consultations can cover a wide range of areas related to instruction. When submitting a request, you can describe the specific aspect you would like feedback on, as well as specify which consultant you would like to work with. For more information and to request a consultation, go to: https://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/general/custom.asp?page=instructionconsultations
If you are interested in becoming an ICS consultant, be on the lookout for a call in spring 2022.
For questions regarding the service, you can email the ICS coordinator at instructionconsultations@musiclibraryassoc.org.
Thanks to the MLA Board for their endorsement of this service, the MLA Web Committee for their help getting us set up on the website, and to our inaugural group of consultants for their willingness to support fellow MLA members.
Members of the Instruction Consultation Service Working Group include Veronica Wells, Rachel Wishkoski, and Sylvia Yang.
Vanderbilt University partners with the National Museum of African American Music
The Anne Potter Wilson Music Library, as part of the Heard Libraries at Vanderbilt University, is partnering with the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) to purchase archival collections. The Academic Archives Purchasing initiative is a faculty funding opportunity through the Provost’s Office to support the expansion of the Libraries’ collection of books, scores, sound recordings and material objects related to African American music. One million dollars will be spent over the next four years to support research and teaching related to African American music. The collections will also be used to support student learning experiences such as Immersion Vanderbilt and the Buchanan Library Fellows Program. Items acquired by the Heard Libraries will be made available to researchers and loaned to NMAAM to support their exhibit program and educational events.
Four archival collections have already been purchased as part of this initiative. The first is the John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie Collection, and includes photographs, autographs, personal records, appointment/address books, signed LPs from fellow musicians, and scrapbooks that document the life and career of Gillespie. In 1956, the U.S. State Dept. commissioned Gillespie to organize a band to go on tour of the Middle East, a tour which was well-received internationally and earned him the nickname “the Ambassador of Jazz.” Included in this collection are three scrapbooks that document his trip. The second collection consists of two costumes worn by Janet Jackson during her “Rhythm Nation” tour made by Richard Tyler and purchased at auction. The third collection contains costumes, journals that document musical activities, and CDs of the country musician Rissi Palmer. The most recent acquisition is the collection of Yusef Lateef consisting of musical instruments, music manuscripts, pedagogical materials, business and personal records, and drafts of his method book and biography.
For inquiries about these collections, please contact the Director of the Wilson Music Library at Vanderbilt, Holling Smith-Borne at holling.smith-borne@vanderbilt.edu.
Photo caption: Nelson Mandela, Dizzy Gillespie, and Hage Geingob, 1990. Courtesy of Vanderbilt University Special Collections.
MLA Preservation Committee: Final report of its Survey on Quality of Binding in Books and Scores
The MLA Preservation Committee formed a working group in October 2018 to administer a survey on quality of binding and physical condition in books and scores in music library collections. The objective of the survey was to enquire from various levels of professionals about their experience with binding formats, and learn about types of binding that were found to be problematic in circulating collections. The final report, released in April 2021, was co-authored by Treshani Perera and Peter Shirts.
Scholarly literature dealing with library collections and publisher binding for books goes back to the 1980s, but a gap in literature exists for formats and bindings typically found in music library collections; much of the existing literature focuses on brittle paper, rather than bindings. The few articles that surveyed the preservation activities for music collections found that in almost all cases, the publishers’ original bindings were insufficient for the purpose of circulating collections.
The committee’s working group distributed the survey in January 2019 across six library-related e-mail listservs. The survey closed in February 2019, and 88 responses were collected during the two-month period. Multiple responses were accepted from each institution since the working group wanted feedback from all levels of library workers.
The working group predicted a consensus among survey respondents that the quality of book construction has decreased over the past 10 years, but just under half (nearly 47%) reported favorably. Over half (51%) think that the quality of book construction has stayed the same or are unsure. This is hardly a consensus, but very few library professionals think the quality of book construction is improving.
Regarding the quality of score construction in the past 10 years, nearly half (about 49%) of survey respondents agreed that the quality has stayed the same, while about 34% reported that the quality has decreased. Again, very few respondents champion the opinion that the quality of score construction has improved.
The question regarding the state of library budgets dedicated to item replacement and preservation efforts revealed surprising (and not-so-surprising) data about library resource funding. We found that 9% and 10% of respondents said that their item replacement and preservation budgets have increased in the last 10 years. But an additional 10% reported not having a dedicated budget for item replacement or preservation.
The responses to problematic binding types provide pertinent information for vendors and distributors involved in the music publishing industry. Based on highest response for each category with multiple-choice responses, the following is a ranking of binding types from most problematic to least problematic: Comb bindings and spiral bindings were judged as very problematic; glue-bound paperbacks, scores with staples/scores and parts with staples, and bound scores with paperback covers were judged as somewhat problematic; and hardcover books were judged as not problematic.
About 80% of respondents provide pamphlet binding support for scores with staples; of those doing in-house pamphlet binding, nearly half (48%) provide pamphlet binding support in a branch library setting, and the rest use a central preservation unit.
A wide variety of responses and comments were received for the question on types of publications and methods of preservation. The following responses were observed under each type of publication:
- For glue-bound paperback books: Slight preference for no initial preservation;
- For bound scores with paperback covers: About an equal preference for sending to commercial bindery vs. in-house preservation;
- For hardcover scores or books with poor spine construction: The majority provide no preservation treatment initially but bind with heavy use;
- For comb or spiral bound books and scores: About an equal preference for sending to commercial bindery vs. in-house preservation, and 25% of respondents provide no preservation treatment for these materials.
The next question looked at methods of preservation for age-related concerns in books and scores. The following responses were noted as preferences under each concern:
- For items with brittle pages: nearly two-thirds replaced the item;
- For items with torn or loose pages: nearly two-thirds of respondents provide in-house treatment using supplies from a vendor;
- For older or out-of-print scores and books: evenly split across all methods of preservation;
- For items with red rot on leather bindings: 41% replaced the item and 35% sent the item to a conservation vendor or centralized preservation unit.
The penultimate question dealt with frequency of handling and access to scores in less than ideal condition. Nearly two-thirds of respondents reported never having used de-acidification as a process to prevent pages from turning brittle. About an equal number of respondents have digitized damaged items and provided local digital access to minimize interaction with damaged physical items. Two-thirds of the respondents reproduced (i.e. photocopied) damaged items and provided physical access to the reproduced version.
The final question revealed levels and types of library workers providing preservation for music collections. A large percentage of respondents (46%) outsource preservation activities to a commercial bindery or preservation vendor. An equally large percentage (45%) utilize student workers or interns to provide in-house preservation, possibly pamphlet binding of scores.
We encourage MLA members, vendors, and those in the greater LIS profession to continue conversations related to these findings at future annual meetings and regional meetings. At this time, the committee is not making any recommendations, but simply presenting this survey report so that MLA members and the greater professional community can determine best practices that would work for their institutions and its constituents.
The final report, with questions and tables of responses, permanently resides on the MLA Preservation Committee webpage; its stable URL is: https://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/members/group.aspx?id=119588
Submitted by Keith Eiten (Wheaton College, IL), for the MLA Preservation Committee
Five Questions with Tiffany Gillaspy
Meet Tiffany Gillaspy, the University of Notre Dame’s Music Librarian!
What’s your musical background?
I started taking piano lessons from our next-door neighbor when I was five. One of my earliest memories is sitting under our donated upright piano by the pedals as my sister played Moonlight Sonata. When I was old enough to play in band, I picked up the clarinet, but it wasn’t to be. However, it all led me to the bassoon, which I fell in love with immediately. I was much happier on that instrument and saw it through a bachelor’s degree in performance and continued lessons in grad school. In undergrad, as much as I loved the sound of the bassoon and the playful parts you get when you play it in ensembles, I found I loved myself much more in the music library than I did in the practice room and turned my sights away from performance and over to music librarianship.
What might others be surprised to learn about you?
I tend to have multiple books that I absolutely love and recommend to other people, but that I haven’t finished reading myself. I don’t want the journey to be over with them, so rather than finish the book and start re-reading, I just start new books and pick up the really good ones when I’m in a good mood and ready to learn a little more about the characters and their adventures. Could the endings disappoint me? Absolutely. But I love being in the middle of a good book so much that I juggle them to get the most out of the story. I’m currently in the middle of House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, and The Revisionaries by A.R. Moxon and will be very sad to finish them.
What superpower would you choose for a day, and why?
Flight. My head has always been in the clouds and I’ve always wanted the option to take my body up there, too. I sat for hours as a child watching birds and I think having the power of flight would be so freeing. From a logical standpoint, I’m not sure I would overcome my fear of heights by having the ability to keep from falling from them, but who needs logic when you have a superpower?
What can’t you live without?
My backyard. It’s small but almost entirely made of gardens and a couple of koi ponds. It absolutely teems with life and every plant (ivy, water lilies, cattails, ornamental grasses, etc.). Everything is a little overgrown and only nominally under my control. It means I will have gardening projects forever and a peaceful little sanctuary to sit and enjoy the biodiversity.
What’s your favorite thing about MLA?
Definitely the people. This is such a wonderful group of genuine and supportive people, and I’ll tell you where I feel it the most: the final business meeting at the conference. Most business meetings I’ve attended have been dry, boring affairs. With MLA, though, every report is infused with care and hope for the next year, every award shines a spotlight on a dedicated individual who works hard without expecting credit, and every memorial is evidence of close relationships and heartfelt esteem. I love looking around at all the new friends I’ve met over the week and picking out people I’ve been friends with for years. It is my favorite part of an always wonderful conference because it highlights what makes MLA different—the people.
Did You Know…
Music played a central role in early Thanksgiving celebrations?
Long before the holiday became associated with parades and pumpkin pie, music was an integral part of sacred and secular functions that bookended New England celebrations. Diary entries from the early 18th and 19th centuries describe Thanksgiving Day beginning with church services and concluding with social balls. Services typically featured hymns, although instrumental music increased in popularity, too. Some congregations installed organs, while others relied on chamber instruments, such as bass viols.
With church in the morning and a feast in the afternoon, the day often concluded with dancing, as described by John Carver:
“…The young folks hastily arrange the dance, and while partners are procured, and places selected, old Peter Peterson, who has played for fifty years to sires and children, tunes up the violin. Contra dances, cotillions and jigs, come each in turn…”
Source: Baker, James W. Thanksgiving: The Biography of an American Holiday. University of New Hampshire, 2009.
Image credit: Tommeau, Family Party Playing at Fox and Geese, 28 Nov. 1857, Wood engraving on newsprint. The Clark Art Institute, 1955.4399.1.