On Collecting Materials for Local Music Histories

Collecting and Collaborating to Build Community: The Evolution of a Local Music Collection at a Small Liberal Arts College Library

“…To clarify, he says, ''What may seem to be of local interest today will soon become of interest to the nation as a whole'' (p. 54), thus presaging the development of trans-local and global music scenes with the advent of new technologies (Bennett & Peterson, 2004). While Spivacke concentrated on the collection of classical music scores and concert programs, others have expanded their definitions of what is appropriate to collect in the context of changing curricular needs and the recognition that the academic library is for more than curricular materials (Epstein, 1967;Watson, 2004). Epstein makes the case for the collection of ephemera, and nearly all authors since Spivacke have emphasized the collection of recordings.…”

Local Music Collectors in Cultural Heritage Organizations: Finding Joy through Occupational Devotion

“…Interest in collecting local music is long established in the music librarianship and archival literature. Leading figures in music librarianship have long recommended collecting local music materials, arguing that it impacts both local communities and the nation by serving as the basis for national music histories (Spivacke 1940;Epstein 1967). The majority of the professional literature on the topic of local music collecting in libraries consists of case studies that describe individual collections and encourage music librarians to recognize the importance of building local music collections for their libraries (Allen 2007;Hathaway 1989;Luyk 2013;Stevenson 1988;Wanser 2014;Winling 2012;Krzyzanowski 2013;Moyer 2012;Himel and Chance 2014;Daniels et al 2015;Thedens 2002).…”

“…The majority of the professional literature on the topic of local music collecting in libraries consists of case studies that describe individual collections and encourage music librarians to recognize the importance of building local music collections for their libraries (Allen 2007;Hathaway 1989;Luyk 2013;Stevenson 1988;Wanser 2014;Winling 2012;Krzyzanowski 2013;Moyer 2012;Himel and Chance 2014;Daniels et al 2015;Thedens 2002). Case studies of specific collections in libraries and archives have, for the most part, focused on issues of professional practice (Belford 2007;Doi 2015;Rafferty 2001) or have argued for the perceived value and importance of collecting local music materials (Epstein 1967;Luyk 2013;Spivacke 1940;Vallier 2010) Local music as a phenomenon, theoretical construct, and social world has been widely researched in sociology and popular music studies, frequently employing the "music scenes" approach. Grounded in and inspired by Becker's Art Worlds, which established a theoretical framework based on "the network of people whose cooperative activity, organized via their joint knowledge of conventional means of doing things, produce(s) the kind of artworks the art world is noted for" (1982, x), the music scenes approach examines the broader social networks that sustain scenes.…”

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“…10 Epstein made similar arguments, suggesting that through the activity of collecting and compiling local music collections, libraries can help connect local musical pasts to national cultural and social developments. 11 She would prove these claims to be true nearly a decade later, through her significant contributions to the study of African-American musical culture, drawing extensively on the use of local music sources. 12 More recent publications in music librarianship on local music collections include case studies that describe individual collections; 13 articles that advocate for the importance of collecting local music; 14 discussions of practical challenges related to the collection, storage, and accessibility of local music artifacts; 15 and examinations of local music collections in the media.…”