Public access to scores on the internet

armandine2 · Post by **armandine2** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:04 pm

My local library makes a point to tell us that it has grove music on-line, and that it is all commendable etc, however it does not allow us to download scores, since to do this would require a Sibelius torch plug in to be downloaded, and it isn't keen on that happening?

Vivaldi · Post by **Vivaldi** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:54 am

Hi armandine2,
Have you asked your university library the reasons it is prohibiting the downloading of the Sibelius plug in? I imagine being a university library it has to install plug ins like Acrobat Reader and Flash for us to access journals and multimedia materials (well at least my university library' case). If that is not possible, maybe you should consider downloading the Sibelius plug in on another computer not connected to the university library. Also, there are many sheet music out there which is in PDF format, which may be more convenient in your case. But I see your argument on the principle of being able to download public domain sheet music in whatever format they may be in.

armandine2 · Post by **armandine2** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:22 pm

I did contact the library (City not university) about this, there response made me think that there reason for not allowing it was mostly a reflection on their technical competences and their inherent role as gatekeeper? I'm not sure I managed even to convince them that i wanted musical notation, not a soundtrack!
A few weeks before this debacle I had reason to quiz a university it/librarian about coming up with a user name for a popular site and was rather surprised she hadn't heard of you tube. My point is, I think, that I don't believe in a easy solution to this, when, I find I'm one of the last people to get interested in computers, and people who are in positions where you think they must've done this ages ago, didn't.

Post by **Yagan Kiely** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:01 am

...

wow...
...some people shouldn't work anywhere near where there is a computer...

Vivaldi · Post by **Vivaldi** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:39 am

No disrespect to your local librarian, but it seems they are still in the dark ages in terms of information technology. That may be the reason why they did not download the Sibelius plug in, simply because they might not know what it is in the first place.
In the case, the problem seems to be lack of computer and software knowledge rather than lack of resources in terms of manpower and hardware. Since I'm no computer expert, is there anyone who knows a solution to this problem?

armandine2 · Post by **armandine2** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:59 am

I think the key problem is that the librarian professional must have a keen subjectivity sense so that they come along quite quick after the technos, and, what they use to say in the army "fill their boots" (apologies for spelling previously). I find it amazing that they haven't already and it isn't the technology gap so much as the sense that they feel they are dealing in currency and they hence fear morally. I can't be the first Joe Bloggs who has come along and wanted a free score. [I've started bass guitar, under 3 years ago!]

Vivaldi · Post by **Vivaldi** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 2:35 pm

Hi, if access to download Sibelius plug ins in your local library is still a problem, maybe you could look elsewhere, for example another city near you who where it is possible to do what you wanted to achieve in the first place?

Post by **Yagan Kiely** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 4:05 pm

Is there anything in particularly wrong with PDF?

armandine2 · Post by **armandine2** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:58 pm

Ive personalised this (it does after all affect me) but I see it as a community thing, so I'll pose this question. In Britains 4th or 5th largest city at their big main city library, how many music scores do you think have been printed off the internet? (in total)

Vivaldi · Post by **Vivaldi** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:26 am

I can't answer that question with precision but I'll guess it's none or very few. But there is a difference, why should libraries sacrifice score quality for price (is in the case of printed scores that might lack quality or resolution)? However, I do think that most libraries can afford to purchase scores rather than print them, either on their own budget or supported by the local government or cummunity.

However I do understand what you are trying to say. My university library has music scores that are either purchased or donated, no printed scores.

armandine2 · Post by **armandine2** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:21 pm

I haven't seen enough (material quality) to argue my case much further, what I do know about libraries is that space is always at a premium and public libraries, though set up charitably, are paid by taxes.

Vivaldi · Post by **Vivaldi** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 2:06 am

I can relate to that. My local (not university) library is not that big and there is no single orchestral score available as far I can tell (maybe a couple of piano sheet music but that's it). Besides the size of the library, I have a feeling that the subjects and books that are available in the library are subjected to scrutiny through the library itself and the local government, and I guess other subjects like Science and Technology have a higher priority than music I guess.

armandine2 · Post by **armandine2** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:59 pm

I have a couple (at least) of orchestral scores in small book form, so not actual performance scores, they could be made into a performance score with a photocopy enlargement and separate parts, of course. The books are quite small, surprising how much "music time" there can be in a couple of pages of score when the tempo is slow. In the UK we have charity shops which will generally have a book corner and it will have a music box or cupboard with a selection of scores (piano music and teaching material in the main but a fair amount of choral stuff). I picked up Rodrigo(?) concerto de Aranjuez and Vaughn-Williams 5th symphony for about 1/5th retail price. Going back to the economics/education and access of music, I would envisage, say, 3 A4 pages of score serving 80% of the public music needs, much like tinpan alley's sheet music business served our needs in the 30's. The internet comes in as the freedom to choose the piece rather than the trusting to luck in a charity shop or a prohibitively priced, to some, private economy. I don't think you should say that science and technology have the right to their primacy, the Greek model to learning has it, to my mind, better with musical study equally necessary (i forget the full curriculum dialectics, astronomy, rhetoric, mathematics, music, ? ?).

Vivaldi · Post by **Vivaldi** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:55 am

I don't mean to offend you, but it is not me that determines what books are available in the local library. I just feel personally that 9 times out of 10 what are available in the bookshelves in my library are related to Science, Technology and Arts, but no music scores. I think you are right in saying that a few pages of sheet music serves most of the public music needs.

armandine2 · Post by **armandine2** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 5:07 pm

Conversation has an element of cut and thrust and I like a good offensive remark if it is a scoring point. Back to the subject, which I guess is about progress, if anything, the library at some level will aim to meet the needs of its readership. It will defer to some individuals more than others, and when its woefully inadequate it will blame the system.