Librarians: In their own words

While the job of the orchestra librarian has evolved over the years, the basic goal has remained the same: to get the musicians the best possible music so that they can prepare the best possible concert so that the audience will get the best possible performance. When I first began in the library world nearly all of our work centered on locating and preparing the music for the concerts, most of which were the “subscription” concerts. While there were many challenging programs, I do not recall the sheer number of works and the complexity of program types that I encounter now. Pops concerts, galas, youth and family shows, international and national tours, fee concerts, theme concerts, and then the “usual” weekly programs are now all a part of my work life.

The bulk of my time is still putting pencil to paper. Bowings, edits, page-turns, and repair work are crucial to the final product. That being said, one of the biggest changes in our library has been in the area of digital technology. Fax machines used to be the most advanced equipment we used (!). Now the photocopier is digital, so we can scan individual parts and print out pdf files. Some libraries have music notation software and are able to create parts, transpositions, and even in-house arrangements. While I personally appreciate the ability to print out a pdf file for an occasional part, I do not think my job is that of music publisher, so I must admit to feeling a bit “old-fashioned” when it comes to downloading complete pieces.

While libraries have historically been the repositories of historical data for the orchestra, they now are the leaders in gathering and storing information about all of the programs. Some orchestras use a library-centric database while other orchestras develop their own software; regardless of the program, it is imperative that it be all-encompassing (composer, title, instrumentation, timings, dates, conductor and soloist(s), special stage requirements, and the like) and usable by all of the orchestra’s departments. I must say that the biggest challenge for my orchestra was to persuade/coax/plead with my colleagues to switch from their own department’s process to the database that connects all of us. Acquiring new programs and finding the time to learn them is quite challenging. I still remember the days of using 3×5 cards to keep rental records, and we still use a Rolodex for our library holdings! (But yes, we have all of our holding in our database, too.) One pleasant digital change is the ability to track the library budget. In the past, I did this by hand and typewriter, but by using today’s software the reports have become much faster and more accurate. Another positive development is the ability to create email files. Grouping all the computer “conversations” under a specific concert heading gives me nearly instant access to the history of a decision and/or information sharing.

Another change is in the area of copyright and licensing. Past rental agreements nearly always allowed for a radio broadcast of the concert within a specified amount of time. Specific license agreements were required for TV, recordings, and/or grand rights. While this is still true today, the librarian is now the de facto copyright advisor concerning long distance learning, downloading, streaming, podcasts, webcasts, multi-media and the like. Many of the music publishers are just now addressing these uses in their rental agreements; others have not yet acknowledged the need to do so. I find myself being in the position of waving the red flag if I hear of a project that is more than “just” a concert.

While I personally find these new facets to my job fascinating, I must admit that I still prefer to spend my time researching and preparing the actual music. Today’s conductors seem to be presenting much more varied and unusual programming than in the past, and this poses challenges not only for the musicians but for the library staff!