The UM Libraries’ Frost Concert Archive Documenting the Performance History of the University of Miami Frost School of Music Amy Strickland University of Miami SEMLA Annual Meeting October 11, 2013

Background Frost School of Music o Opened as the University of Miami Conservatory of Music in 1926 One of the first two academic units established at UM o Renamed after a gift by Dr. Phillip and Patricia Frost in 2003 The Frost Concert Archive o Envisioned to mark the 10 th anniversary of the Frost School naming gift o Historical, current, and future recorded performances of the Frost School o Development began in 2011

Building the Archive Two-fold purpose o Long-term digital storage and preservation of Frost School recordings o Access to recordings via CONTENTdm Partnerships o Frost School of Music Marketing and Communications – original idea, information about policies at Frost Recording Services – provides recordings Administration staff – provide digital program notes o University of Miami Libraries Digital Production Lab – manages scanning and quality control of physical program notes Digital Repository Librarian – manages CONTENTdm Cataloging and Metadata – assistance with metadata guidelines

Building the Archive Pilot – Fall 2011 o Details Inventory created using filenames from liner notes 25 master copy CDs from Spring 2011 loaned by Frost Recording Services (FRS) CD reproduced as an image file (digital master copy).mp3s of tracks produced via iTunes Uploaded to Archive Server and into CONTENTdm o Results VERY SLOW PROCESS! Image files not best choice Music Library computers too slow for processing o Decisions FRS would handle converting CDs to digital files.wav files used as master copies

Current Status Workflow Statistics Challenges

Current Workflow: File processing Inventory provides metadata and tracks processing Each concert given an object id: mus

Files received from FRS via network drive Current Workflow: File processing

Folder contains.wav files,.doc file, and subfolder with.mp3s Current Workflow: File processing

Basic metadata added to.mp3s using Mp3tag Current Workflow: File processing Concert Title Primary Performer Concert Date and Object ID

.pdf of program notes added to.mp3 file (if no program note exists, “Program unavailable”.pdf added) Current Workflow: File processing

Files renamed using Bulk Rename Utility Current Workflow: File processing

Liner note named after object ID, while.wavs,.mp3s and.pdfs given digital IDs Current Workflow: File processing

Processed concert folders are renamed with object ID Current Workflow: File processing

After processing is complete, files are uploaded to the archive server via Filezilla Current Workflow: File processing

Current Workflow: Metadata Digital Repository Librarian uses inventory list to generate metadata workbooks; each tab represents one concert

Current Workflow: Metadata The completed tab includes the program and track titles for the concert Info on top row comes from inventory Digital IDs and filenames generated via script Worker inputs track titles based on liner notes

Current Workflow: Metadata Completed spreadsheets are sent to the Digital Repository Librarian for use in CONTENTdm

Presentation via CONTENTdm There are two collections: one for performances by Frost students and faculty

Presentation via CONTENTdm and one for performances by community groups who rent the Frost performing venues

Presentation via CONTENTdm Each collection can be browsed by title of concert (browsing list displays thumbnails of program notes)

Presentation via CONTENTdm When a concert is selected, the page opens to a view of the program notes, with the tracks to the right Layout comes from the layout of the metadata worksheet.pdfs are full-text searchable

Presentation via CONTENTdm Clicking a track on the right opens a miniature player; each track is streamed and cannot be downloaded

Presentation via CONTENTdm The metadata for the concert and metadata for each track is provided below the player

Statistics 3,422 concerts in inventory o 1,050 received from Frost Recording Services o 750+ uploaded to archive server o 170+ added to CONTENTdm concerts added to inventory each semester 660+ programs scanned by Digital Production Lab

Challenges Policies o Copyright and licenses: still some questions as to what is allowed o Student permissions: inconsistent use of release forms by Frost School Staffing o Frost School has not consistently followed up with offer of graduate assistants o Training temporary student workers is time-consuming and must be redone each semester o Currently hiring a new library technician who may provide some additional help

Challenges Technical o Backlog! Catching up with historical files while keeping up with new concerts o Storage space: files received from FRS faster than completed concerts are uploaded to archive server o Physical program notes: scanning and quality control took longer than anticipated; some files were not formatted correctly and must be redone o Digital program notes: no longer receiving web-optimized.pdfs from Frost

Outlook Need more staffing and support from Frost School o Need enough workers to divide workflow into manageable tasks Make at least some concerts public by December? o Anniversary of Naming! Use this experience to establish policies for future digital audio collections at UM

Any Questions?