The Willard Suitcase Exhibit December 4, 2008

This digital collection has to be the most heart-felt collection I have run across.  Although I have been trying to stick with digital collections pertaining to music, this one begged to be written about.  The Willard Suitcase Exhibit is based on the contents found in suitcases that were brought to the Willard Psychiatric Center in  New York when the patients were first checked in.  When the center closed in 1995, some of the staff members wanted to save the historical artifacts that were left behind.  They found over 400 suitcases tucked away in the attic that were lined up alphabetically with tags identifying to whom they belonged.  They chose 9 different people and tell their stories to bring awareness to mental disorders.  The original exhibit was made possible by the van Amerigen Foundation and the Nathan Cummings Foundation.  The display has been made into a traveling exhibit entitled: The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases From a State Hospital Attic.

The online exhibit does a wonderful job of capturing the essence by giving the background of the project and the institution.  The stories are told of all 9 patients they chose; however, due to privacy reasons they only give the person’s first name and patient number.  This is a very heartbreaking exhibit, because many of the patients did not have any mental disorder but were instead sent there for various other reasons.  This exhibit will make you appreciate the differences in the society where we live today.

A Brief Look at Amazon’s Kindle November 17, 2008

Recently, a new gadget has taken the tech world by storm that is known as the Kindle.  This device, which is sold by Amazon is basically a screen with a small keyboard that allows you to read e-books, newspapers, magazines and blogs.  One of the perks of the Kindle is that you can adjust the text size to make it easier to read.  I have heard several people talking about these gadgets, and everything that has been said is positive.

For instance, I was reading Entertainment Weekly’s October 17th issue that had an article about the Kindle.  In the article, Rick Tetzeli tried the Kindle out for two months while he was on numerous business trips.  He began by saying that he had subscribed to the New York Times for years and did not think that he would like it.  After the end of the two months, he has canceled his subscription and now subscribes to the Times on his Kindle.

Another conversation with some of my friends revealed that many of them were receptive to the idea.  However, those with a preference for technology really liked the Kindle and preferred it to the real deal, while friends that read voraciously did not like the idea of the Kindle.

My thoughts on the matter are that no matter how good the technology is, it still cannot replace a real book or newspaper.  It is a great resource for those that want the convenience of having everything in one spot or for traveling purposes, but it will never replace a good book.

Introduction to Collections September 1, 2008

I am very new to the idea of a digital collection. I have known for some time that such collections exist but have not taken the time to find them.  In my browsing for three such collections to discuss, I have found three that I will introduce to you today.  I hope to explore them in greater depth as the semester continues.

Library of Congress American Memory

This collection is massive: it covers everything from Music to Native American History to Advertising.  This site is overseen by the Library of Congress.  It is dedicated to providing free and open access to its collections of photographs, sound recordings, sheet music, and other memorabilia that commemorate the history of America.  The collection contains over 9 million pieces of memorabilia.  The collection can be browsed by subject or topic and can be searched across multiple collections.  The collection provides an Ask the Librarian online reference service that is helpful if you do not find what you are specifically looking for.

As the semester continues and I have a chance to examine the site more closely, I will attempt to focus on the Music, Performing Arts collection, which contains 33 different collections.  These collections contain sheet music, sound recordings, and portraits that would be useful for any music librarian to be aware of.

Charles H. Templeton, Sr. Music Museum

This collection is part of the Mississippi State University Libraries.  The collection is named after the benefactor Charles H. Templeton, Sr.  The collection spans from the  Civil War to the Vietnam era with sheet music of popular music of the times.  The collection is catalogued by genre and given an inventory code.  The music that is in the public domain can be accessed online.  However, there are numerous pieces that are not in the public domain due to their copyright date and can only be accessed at the Mississippi State Library.  Along with the sheet music, there is also a collection of Digital Images and Cylinder Recordings.  Although the collection focuses on music, there are aspects that pertain to the social and economic aspects of the times.

Hoagy Carmichael Collection

The Hoagy Carmichael Collection is maintained by Indiana University.  The collection is the largest grouping of information pertaining to Hoagy Carmichael.  The collection contains manuscripts, correspondence, images, sound recordings, and films just to mention a few things.  The collection is comprised of holdings from three different entities: Lilly Library, Indiana University Archives, and Archives of Traditional Music.  As of November 1999, the Archives of Traditional Music holdings was the only group that had been completely digitized.  The holdings at the Lilly Library and Indiana University Archives were in the process of being digitized.  I could not find updated information, so I am not for sure if this is still the case or not.  Besides the expected browse and search options, the site also includes research information on his life.

I look forward to exploring these collections as we continue through the beginning of a new school year.  Hopefully, you will gain as much insight as I during this journey.