Special Considerations When Cataloging Ethnic Music

1
Special Considerations When Cataloging Ethnic
Music

• Caitlin Hunter
• Processing Unit Head, Recorded Sound Section,
  Library of Congress
• MOUG Conference
• February 18, 2009

2
What will be covered

• Introduction to topic
• General elements to consider
• How people search for ethnic music
• Selected cataloging issues and examples
• Commercial items
• Collections and unpublished items
• Ethnic music in FRBR-like models

3
Why ethnic music?

• My Background
• Anthropology
• Performance experience with ethnic music and
  related course work
• Work experience

4
Why special considerations

• Complicated topic and limited time, so can only
  cover certain broad issues and specific examples.
• Search practices differ from those for Western
  Art music
• Institution size may impact cataloging practices
• Varied treatment of typical search elements

5
Why special considerations, cont.

• Well-established cataloging practices for
  specific formats and Western Art music. Popular
  and Ethnic music are not covered as thoroughly.
• Catalogers may have an incomplete understanding
  of
• Terminology
• Cultural practices
• Language

6
Terminology

• Ethnic
• Shared cultural identity
• Recognized elements marking difference from other
  groups
• Independent of national borders

7
Terminology

• World music
• Likely originated in the field of ethnomusicology
• Music industry has used for marketing and
  classification
• LCSH
• Once was used for " ... popular musical works
  combining traditional rhythms from around the
  world with elements of jazz and rock
• Now encompasses ethnic music and ethnic/popular
  fusions.

8
Terminology, cont.

• Traditional and Folk music
• Passed down through generations
• Interchangeable terms
• LCSH Folk music is an established heading and
  the rules state to use this in place of
  Traditional music

9
Terminology, cont.

• National music
• Governmental, regional, or geographic boundaries
• LCSH entry exists (although no scope note)

10
Issues to consider prior to cataloging ethnic
music

• Language and culture specialists
• Reference works
• Examples
• The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music
• Spottswood, Richard K. Ethnic Music on Records- A
  Discography of Ethnic Recordings Produced in the
  United States, 1893 to 1942. Urbana University
  of Illinois Press, 1990.

11
Issues to consider prior to cataloging ethnic
music, cont.

• Cataloging-related tools
• Thesauri
• Geography, Cultural groups, Languages,
  Instruments
• Subject headings
• Subject Cataloging Manual H 1917 Music of
  Ethnic, National, and Religious Groups
• Provides guidelines for assigning subject
  headings to works that consist of or discuss the
  music of ethnic groups, music with national
  emphasis, religious music of certain groups, and
  non-Western art music, including works about the
  musical instruments of these groups

12
Issues to consider prior to cataloging ethnic
music, cont.

• Establishing cataloging practices that will allow
  patrons to search and retrieve results in a
  consistent manner
• Providing print or online search guides

13

• How Do People Search for
• Ethnic Music?

14
How do people search for ethnic music?

• Sources to consider
• Writings related to searching for ethnic/cultural
  materials
• Organization of information in reference sources
  devoted to ethnic music

15
How do people search for ethnic music?

• Sources to consider, cont.
• Search options found in databases offering access
  to ethnic music
• Examples
• Smithsonian Global Sound
• http//www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/
• Amazon.com
• http//www.amazon.com/World-Music/b?ieUTF8node
  33
• Other commercial sites
• Ex CD Baby http//cdbaby.com/style/world

16
How do people search for ethnic music?

• Sources to consider, cont.
• Search guides provided by institutions
• Observed patterns
• Subject headings
• Preformatted searches with click of a button
• Classification schemes and call numbers

17
How do people search for ethnic music?

• Search Elements for Ethnic Music
• Most frequent search/organizational elements
• Geographic location
• Cultural/Ethnic group
• Form/Genre
• Instrumentation
• Second-tier elements
• Language
• Dates
• Contributors
• Content/Works

18

• Cataloging Commercial
• Sound Recordings

19
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• MARC fields
• Machine readable
• vs.
• Readable by patrons
• Surveyed practices of various institutions

20
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Geographic Location
• Machine readable
• 033 (Date/Time and Place of an Event)
• b (Geographic classification area code)
• c (Geographic classification sub-area code)
• Source of codes Library of Congress
  Classification Class G
• 043 (Geographic Area Code)
• a (Geographic area code)
• Ex Illinois a n-us-il
• Source of codes MARC Code List for Geographic
  Areas

21
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Geographic Location, cont.
• Readable by patrons
• 518 (Date/Time and Place of an Event Note)
• 6XX
• SCM H 1917
• ethnic or national group z place v Music.
• heading(s) for music of individual religious
  group(s) z place
• Topical heading or subject heading string z
  Larger jurisdiction z Specific place.

22
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Cultural/Ethnic group
• Machine readable
• -None-
• Readable by patrons
• 500/511
• 6XX
• SCM H 1917
• ethnic or national group z place v Music.
• heading(s) for music of individual religious
  group(s) z place

23
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Form/Genre
• Machine readable
• 008/18-19 (Form of Composition) (broad)
• 047 (Form of Musical Composition Code) (broad)
• Readable by patrons
• 500
• 650 /655
• SCM H 1917
• heading(s) for musical genre, type, or style,
  for ballads and songs, or for songs implying
  national emphasis

24
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Instrumentation
• Machine readable
• 048 (Number of musical instruments or voices
  code) (broad)
• Readable by patrons
• 500/511
• 6XX

25
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Language
• Machine readable
• 008/35-37 (Language)
• Source MARC Code List for Languages
• 041 (Language code)
• d (code for sung or spoken text)
• Source MARC Code List for Languages
• Readable by patrons
• 546 (Language note)
• 6XX
• SCM H 1917
• heading(s) qualified by language of text

26
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Dates
• Machine readable
• 033 (Date/Time and Place of an Event)
• a (Formatted date/time )
• 1st 8 characters yyyymmdd (hyphen for unknown
  digits)
• Readable by patrons
• 518 Date/Time and Place of an Event Note

27
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Contributors
• Machine readable
• -None-
• Readable by patrons
• 1XX
• 245
• 500/511/505
• 7XX

28
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Content/Works
• Machine readable
• -None-
• Readable by patrons
• 245
• 505/520
• 740

29
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Example 1 (see handout)
• Natalie MacMaster, My Roots Are Showing
• Geographic Location
• 033 b 3422 c C29
• 043 a n-cn-ns
• 500 Traditional fiddle music of Cape Breton
  Island--Container
• 518 Recorded Dec. 1997 at Lakewind Sound
  Studios, Point Aconi, Cape Breton, N.S.
• 650 z Nova Scotia z Cape Breton Island

30
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Example 1, cont.
• Cultural/Ethnic Identity
• 500 Performer Canadian.
• Inference from geographic location
• Form/Genre
• 008/18-19 fm or mu
• 047 a fm a df
• 500 Traditional fiddle music of Cape Breton
  IslandContainer
• 650 a Fiddle tunes
• 650 a Folk music
• 650 a Folk dance music

31
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Example 1, cont.
• Instrumentation
• 500 Traditional fiddle music of Cape Breton
  IslandContainer
• 511 Natalie MacMaster, fiddle Mary Jessie
  MacDonald, piano (1st work) Joel Chiasson, piano
  (2nd work)
• 650 a Fiddle tunes
• Language
• N/A for the works

32
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Example 1, cont.
• Date (of performance)
• 033 a 199712--
• 518 Recorded Dec. 1997 at Lakewind Sound
  Studios, Point Aconi, Cape Breton, N.S.
• Contributors
• 100 a MacMaster, Natalie. 4 prf
• 511 Natalie MacMaster, fiddle
• 700 a Chiasson, Joel. 4 prf
• Content/Works
• 505 a Hey, Johnny Cope! -- Willie Fraser -- The
  boys of the lake --

33
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Example 2
• Sam-Ang Sam Ensemble, Music of Cambodia
• Geographic Location
• 033 b 3804
• 033 b 4284
• 043 a a-cb--- a n-us---
• 245 a Music of Cambodia
• 518 a Recorded May 8, 1987, at Greenwich House,
  New York City, and Dec. 3, 1988, at Ruskin
  Studio, Seattle, Washington.
• 650 z Cambodia
• ? 650 z United States

34
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Example 2, cont.
• Cultural/Ethnic Identity
• 650 a Cambodian Americans v Music
• Inference from geographic location in title and
  background of performer
• Form/Genre
• 008/18-19 fm
• 650 a Folk music

35
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Example 2, cont.
• Language
• 008/35-37 khm
• 041 d khm
• 546 not mentioned in existing bibliographic
  record
• Dates (of performance)
• 033 a 19870508
• 033 a 19881203
• 518 Recorded May 8, 1987, at Greenwich House,
  New York City, and Dec. 3, 1988, at Ruskin
  Studio, Seattle, Washington.

36
Cataloging commercial sound recordings

• Example 2, cont.
• Instrumentation
• not mentioned in existing bibliographic record
• Contributors
• 110 Sam-Ang Sam Ensemble. 4 prf
• Content/Works
• 505 Kath troeuy Crossing the river bank --
  Khek Nup Bun Indian from Nup -- Kolap Phnom
  Penh Rose of Phnom Peng --

37

• Collections and Unpublished Materials

38
Collections and unpublished materials

• Elements to Consider
• Information discussed in previous section
• Additional elements for consideration
• Collection title
• Content, Summaries, and Access to Individual
  Recordings in a Collection
• Physical Description
• Notes (Genre/Form and Provenance)
• Subject Headings

39
Collections and unpublished materials

• Collection titles (245)
• Titles on item(s)
• Supplied titles
• AACR2 1.1B7
• Supply a title proper for an item lacking a
  chief source of information from the rest of the
  item, or a reference source, or elsewhere. If no
  title can be found in any source, devise a brief
  descriptive title.
• Internal/Institution-specific practices
• ATM Location, Cultural group, Dates / c
  collected by Name
• Brazil, Tupi Indians, ca. 1935 sound
  recording / collected by Charles Wagley.

40
Collections and unpublished materials

• Collection titles (245)
• Supplied titles, cont.
• DACS (Describing Archives Content Standard)
• 245 a Name segment nature of materials
• Mary Smith collection of fiddle tunes
• Date
• 245 f Date range
• Mary Smith collection of fiddle tunes, f
  1965-1970.
• Other 245 g (bulk date) and 260 c

41
Collections and unpublished materials

• Content, Summaries, and Access to Individual
  Recordings in a Collection
• Contents or Summary Notes
• 505
• 520
• Access to individual recordings
• Bibliographic Records
• Finding Aids
• Indexes

42
Collections and unpublished materials

• Physical Description (300)
• Multiple formats in one collection
• Content to include in bibliographic record
• Only sound recordings or-
• Sound recordings and accompanying materials
• Single entry
• 21 sound discs analog, 78 rpm, mono. 7-10 in.
  4 sound tape reels (10 in.) . documentation
• Multiple entries in one record
• 50 sound tape reels  analog, 7 1/2 ips  10 in.
• 100 sound cassettes  analog.
• 120 sound discs  analog, 33 1/3 rpm  12 in.

43
Collections and unpublished materials

• Notes
• Genre/Form Note
• Suggest including a note listing various
  genres/forms in a collection
• Provenance
• Institutional repository of original recording
• Collector who gathered the recordings
• Narrative provenance story
• Copies

44
Collections and unpublished materials

• Subject Headings
• LCSH
• Local subject headings
• How many is too many?

45

• Ethnic Music and
• FRBR-Like Models

46
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• FRBR
• http//www.ifla.org/VII/s13/frbr/
• Entities
• Group 1
• Work (a distinct intellectual or artistic
  creation)
• Expression (the intellectual or artistic
  realization of a work)
• Manifestation (the physical embodiment of an
  expression of a work)
• Item (a single exemplar of a manifestation)

47
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• FRBR
• Group 1 entities, cont.

48
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• FRBR
• Entities, cont.
• Group 2
• Person
• Corporate body
• Group 3
• Concept (an abstract notion or idea)
• Object (a material thing)
• Event (an action or occurrence)
• Place (a location)

49
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• FRBR
• Shared Work and Expression Attributes (but
  applied differently)
• Title
• Form
• Date
• Other distinguishing characteristics
• Context
• Medium of Performance
• Group 2 and 3 Entities
• Person
• Corporate body
• Event
• Place

50
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• Special Considerations Regarding
• Geographic Location
• Contributors and Cultural/Ethnic Group
• Form/Genre
• Instrumentation
• Content/Works
• Other Misc. Issues

51
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• Geographic Location (Place)
• Location types that may be tracked
• Contributors place of origin
• Works and Styles place of origin or affiliation
• Place of performance
• Place of publication
• Manner in which geographic location is presented
  on ethnic music recordings
• Specific countries, cities, or towns identified
• Descriptive identifications of settlement,
  region, such as within the borderlands of
  several countries
• In conjunction with cultural groups, such as
  lands of the Shona people

52
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• Contributors and Cultural/Ethnic group
• Should contributors be associated with roles and
  how will those be searched?
• Creator, Performer, Other
• Inclusion of roles related to ethnic music
• Source of roles MARC relator terms other
  options
• Roles often not associated with Western Art
  music ethnographer/recorder, researcher,
  collector, and donor
• Cultural/Ethnic groups could be thought of as
  creators or performers

53
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• Contributors and Cultural/Ethnic group, cont.
• Full names vs. incomplete or vague contributor
  statements
• Varies widely, depending upon collector or
  publication
• Incomplete or vague first names, descriptive
  identifications (i.e. school children, priests,
  village members), and ethnic groups/tribes/castes
  
• Traditional often found in place of a creator
  name.
• Should contributor records be made for all such
  entries? If not, need to allow for a unique place
  where this information may continue to be traced.

54
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• Contributors and Cultural/Ethnic group, cont.
• Authority record patterns for ethnic
  music-related contributors
• Authority records generally already exist for
• Ethnographers
• Performers who have released solo or small
  ensemble recordings
• In general, records do not exist for most
  performers and identified composers
• Confusion determining correct heading Names from
  certain regions (particularly Latin American and
  Hispanic names)

55
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• Form/Genre
• Controlled vocabulary or not?
• Current terms in LCSH
• Ethnic music under-represented in general
• Terms from certain regions, such as Afghanistan
  and Australia, are not well-represented
• Difficulty understanding where forms/genres fall
  in a hierarchy
• As music Form/Genre term list being established
  ideal time to add more ethnic music terms

56
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• Form/Genre, cont.
• On recordings, range from precise terms to
  descriptive statements incorporating ethnic
  group, region, and techniques/styles of playing.
  How to handle?
• Example one ethnic group identified as
  performing in the style of another ethnic group.
• In liner notes, unfamiliar terms often described
  or defined.
• Possibility of consolidating this information for
  the betterment of all?
• Requires a conscious effort on the part of the
  cataloging community.

57
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• Instrumentation
• Controlled vocabulary or not?
• Sources and organization of selections
• If yes, define mechanism for adding more terms
• Incorporate broader terms for instrument classes?
• Western Art music composers may incorporate such
  instruments in their compositions, so all terms
  must be accessible regardless of musical
  tradition.

58
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• Contents/Works
• What is a work in ethnic music?
• Concept of a work in ethnic music is
  problematic.
• Distinct titles vs. form or vague titles
• Title might consist of a combination of
  instrument, ethnic group, function, context, etc.
  terms
• Origination of titles ethnic group, collector,
  or publisher
• Relationships

59
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• Contents/Works, cont.
• Collections as works?
• Field recordings
• Could be thought of as being created/organized by
  the collector/ethnographer
• Each individual selection would be a part of the
  whole.
• At what level may subject headings, form/genre,
  instrumentation, etc. be indicated?
• Broad terms for the Collection work title but
  more distinct ones for the individual parts?

60
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• Other Issues to Consider
• Language
• Language used (1) in performance and (2) in
  accompanying materials
• Controlled list or not? If so, how to develop and
  add new terms?
• Ability to select multiple languages
• What should be done if no language is indicated
  or there is a vague statement like African
  dialect?
• Language of accompanying print materials may not
  be understood.

61
Ethnic Music and FRBR-like Models

• Other Issues to Consider, cont.
• Shared attributes or Groupings
• This information is often not tracked in
  bibliographic records. Should it be?
• Example tracks grouped according to deities,
  holidays, instrument classification.

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• The End