VARIATIONS A Digital Music Library System at Indiana

VARIATIONS A Digital Music Library System at Indiana University Jon W. Dunn Constance A. Mayer ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

VARIATIONS: Introduction • Digital library of music sound recordings • Developed in conjunction with design of a new physical music library facility; access currently limited to that facility • Used daily by large student population – New way of providing access to a basic music library function (listening reserves) • Online since 1996 ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Outline of talk • • • Background Access scenarios Technical implementation User experiences Conclusions, future work ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Context • Other audio-based music library efforts – JUKEBOX (EC), PATRON (Surrey, UK) – E-Reserves: Berkeley, Wisconsin, Columbia, UCSD, Virginia, . . . • Other music library projects – Sheet music: Johns Hopkins, Duke, LC, Berkeley, UNC-CH – Encoding: CCARH - Stanford – Notation search/analysis: NZDL, HUMDRUM, . . . ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Context • Indiana University School of Music – Largest in US: 1600 students, 140 faculty – strong academic and performance programs • Cook Music Library – Collection in top 5 in US • 320, 000 cataloged print items • 130, 000 cataloged sound recordings – Very high usage, circulation ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Background • Burroughs and Fenske, 1990 • VARIATIONS Name – Theme and Variations – Variety of information formats for music • Networked access for the music student or scholar to sound recordings, scores, textual materials, video recordings ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Focus on audio • High demand portion of collection – Circulation of over 5500/month from closed stacks • Fragile formats • Lack of previous work; uniqueness ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Focus on audio reserves • Half of sound recording use from reserves • Problems with existing practices – Cassette tape dubs, analog distribution systems • Concentrated use of a few items at any given time • Pilot online in April 1996, more in Fall – Currently: 5500 titles, 6600 hours of audio – Opera, songs, instrumental music, jazz, rock, world music ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Access scenarios • Course reserve • Catalog ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

VARIATIONS Player ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Why use existing catalog? • Physical items already MARC-cataloged in NOTIS online catalog system • Users familiar with search strategies • Search method independent of whether item is available physically or electronically ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Disadvantages of using catalog • Varying levels of detail in individual records; arrangement of information sometimes confusing • Search strategies often confusing to the novice • Lack of functionality in Web/Z 39. 50 interface in NOTIS ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Technical implementation • Strategies – Integrate rather than develop – Use off-the-shelf hardware and software – Sustainability – Single technology vendor for emerging technologies (IBM) ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Audio capture • Performed in-house • Variety of source formats – LP, reel-to-reel, cassette, DAT, CD • • Hardware: PC, sound card, CD-ROM drive Software: Sound Forge, Disc-to-Disk Format: WAV, 44. 1 k. Hz 16 -bit stereo Track timings and names recorded by technician ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Processing • CD-quality WAV files compressed to MPEG-1 layer 2 (near CD-quality) – 1. 4 Mbps 384 kbps • Track timing information stored in “metadata file” ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Information architecture ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Metadata • Descriptive – MARC record (composer, title, performer, subject headings, …) • Structural – Metadata file (track names and timings) • Administrative – Metadata file (date digitized, file format, equipment used, copyright notice, …) ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

MARC Record BM FMT M RT j BL m T/C DT 01/28/91 R/DT 10/08/98 STAT nm E/L DCF a D/S D SRC d PLACE nyu LANG MOD T/AUD REPRO D/CODE p DT/1 1987 DT/2 1986 F/COMP mu SCORE n A/MAT ehi L/TEXT 007 GMD s SMD d O/R ? SP f SND s GRV n DIM g WID n TAPE n TYPE m MAT l CUT n R/CH e C/ST d 024/1: 1 : |a 7559791442 028/1: 03: |a 79144 -2 |b Elektra Nonesuch 028/2: 00: |a 9 79144 -2 |b Elektra Nonesuch 033/1: 0 : |a 198611 -- |b 4364 |c S 5 035/1: : |a (OCo. LC)ocm 19236651 040: : |a YUU |c YUU |d CPL |d OCL |d IUL 045: 1 : |b d 1985 |b d 1973 |b d 19800103 047: : |a df |a hy 048/1: : |a oa 099/1: : |a CD |a. A 214 |a Ge 100: 10: |a Adams, John, |d 1947240: 10: |a Orchestra music. |k Selections 245: 14: |a The Chairman dances : |b foxtrot for orchestra ; Christian zeal and activity ; Two fanfares for orchestra ; Common tones in simple time |h <sound recording> / |c John Adams. 260: 0 : |a New York, N. Y. : |b Elektra Nonesuch, |c p 1987. 300/1: : |a 1 sound disc : |b digital ; |c 4 3/4 in. 306: : |a 001227 |a 001000 |a 000411 |a 000413 |a 002037 500/1: : |a Elektra Nonesuch: 79144 -2 (on container: 9 79144 -2). 500/2: : |a The 2 nd work based ACM on the hymn Onward soldiers. DL 99 - August 12, Christian 1999

Metadata file # ABE 7278 A CWB 1 -12 -95 Author=Adams, John, 1947 Title=<Orchestra music. Selections> Equipment=D 2 D Media. Type=Audio [Track 1] Track. Title=Adams, The Chairman Dances (Foxtrot for Orchestra) Offset=0 [Track 2] Track. Title=Adams, Christian Zeal and Activity Offset=750774 [Track 3] Work. Title=Adams, Two Fanfares for Orchestra Track. Title=Tromba lontana Offset=1362601 [Track 4] Track. Title=Short Ride in a Fast Machine Offset=1619040. . . ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Content storage • Two levels: – Archive server • IBM RS/6000 server, 3494 automated tape library, two 3590 drives (5 TB capacity) • IBM ADSM storage management software – Playback server • IBM RS/6000 server, 130 GB disk • Multimedia Server for AIX (initially): NFS • IBM Video. Charger (now): RTP/RTSP streaming ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Content access Playback server Video. Charger Web server Client Player Browser ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Content access Playback server Video. Charger VRS Web server Client Player Browser ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999 Archive server (ADSM)

Performance • May 1, 1998 - May 1, 1999: – Playback server cache hit rate: 83% – Mean time for retrieval of file from archive: 3 minutes ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Client • Hardware – Pentium PC, sound card (ideally a good one!) – ATM or Switched Ethernet • Software – Standard web browser – MPEG decoder (e. g. MS Direct. Show) – VARIATIONS Player helper application • Visual C++, Video. Charger or Quick. Time 4 API for streaming access ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

User reaction • Usage statistics • Feedback via web form, informal comments by students and faculty and observations by library staff ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Usage statistics ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Usage statistics • Average use per day: ~400 player launches, over 6000/day during exams ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Feedback • Most common: problem reports on specific files or computers • Desire for expanded access ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Future work • Expand data formats: – Liner note images, score notation files, MIDI files, video – Score image pilot currently in progress • Integration of content-based search tools • Standards for music metadata • Access to content by applications ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Future work • Expand access – Other locations on campus • faculty offices, computer labs, dorm rooms, etc. – Off-campus – Other institutions - Internet 2 • Resource sharing, distributed collections, ILL ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

Future work • Intellectual property – Fair use and other copyright exceptions – Licensing – Complexity of music copyright • Multiple rights holders and collectives – Technical facilities for complying with exceptions or license terms ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999

More information • VARIATIONS home page – http: //www. music. indiana. edu/variations/ • E-mail: – Jon Dunn: jwd@indiana. edu – Connie Mayer: mayerc@indiana. edu ACM DL 99 - August 12, 1999