Sold Out! Digital Delius (London, 1 October)

Why share details of a seminar that's sold out?  Well, you never know if there might be a last-minute cancellation!  So we're sharing details of this seminar at the British Library, just in case anyone might be particularly interested.  Anything touching on the digital humanities has a very current resonance, after all.

"How can technology help people access and understand music manuscripts?

"This event has been rescheduled from 16 July.

"Join us for the launch of a new digital exhibition showcasing the music of British-born composer Frederick Delius (1862–1934), including a live performance by the Villiers String Quartet."

 "Daniel Grimley, Joanna Bullivant and representatives from the University of Oxford’s e-Research Centre present an overview of the AHRC-funded project and outline how technologies they have developed can enrich engagement with musical sources and give an insight into the creative process. "

 Monday 1 October, 13:00 - 18:00
Foyle Visitor and Learning Centre
The British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB

And if you're lucky enough to get a ticket ... it's free!

Find out more here:- https://www.bl.uk/events/digital-delius-unlocking-digitised-music-manuscripts 

Need to Read Someone Else's PhD Thesis? Try ETHOS!

If you're a researcher, you may well need to access other people's doctoral theses.  If the person did their PhD in the UK, you might be able to download it FOR FREE, using the British Library ETHOS service.

It works like this:- 

1. Look for the thesis in Copac to check details and whereabouts.
2. Register as an Ethos user. 
3. Look for the thesis on the Ethos website.
4. Choose the free download option, if it's there.  
5. Download it, save to your computer, enjoy!

If you're a registered researcher or member of staff at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and you happen to find a thesis that is not free to download, please contact the Whittaker Library.  We may be able to purchase a print copy via Ethos, which we'll add to library stock.


We're the very helpful Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, here to support the learning and teaching of our creative community. 

Finding Music - Simultaneous Search of German, Austrian and British Libraries

Here's a useful resource!  

Vifa Musik

Vifa Musik is the Virtual Library of Musicology.  It lets you search the British Library, Austrian National Library, Berlin State Library, Bavarian State Opera - and other databases - all at once.

It's easy to see the potential for unearthing new and interesting materials.

• Search here.
• Vifa Musik homepage

Copyright Free Images! Music to your Ears (and Delight to your Eyes)

Free Images!

How to access a million stunning, copyright-free antique illustrations released by the British Library

The British Library is making millions of images available to you, copyright free.

When there's so much doom and gloom about copyright, isn't it nice to read about something free for a change?  Click here to find out more!

Singers! You've sung Warlock Songs - now celebrate his Anniversary!

120th Anniversary Celebration of Warlock’s Birth

Members of the Peter Warlock Society and their friends are warmly invited
to attend this one day symposium at the British Library.
Saturday 25 October 10am to 5pm

The Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a member of the Peter Warlock Society. Staff and students of the Conservatoire - do come and ask us about it!

.

Music of War - A Conference

 The Music of War: 1914–1918 

Conference, 29-31 August 2014 

  British Library.

"A final reminder that *The Music of War: 1914–1918* conference takes place from 29-31 August 2014 at the British Library.

"Held as part of the British Library’s Centenary events programme, the conference includes a screening of the WWI silent film ‘Pax Aeterna’, the performance ‘War, Women and Song’, and a wine reception.

"To view the programme and register for the conference, please visit: http://www.themusicofwar.org

Keynote speakers:

Dr Kate McLoughlin (Birkbeck, London)

Professor Rachel Cowgill (Cardiff University)

Roundtable Session:

Professor Rachel Cowgill (Cardiff University) Lewis Foreman Professor Barbara Kelly (Keele University) Dr Kate Kennedy (University of Cambridge) Chaired by Dr Toby Thacker (Cardiff University)

For conference-related enquiries, please contact: themusicofwar@gmail.com

Generously supported by:

The British Library

Royal Musical Association

Music & Letters Trust

The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities

World War 1 Sheet Music Online (Thank you, Library of Congress!)

American Music Librarians - We Salute You!

The Library of Congress has made available a wonderful collection of World War I sheet music, online.  Click on the images - a treat in themselves - and download pdf files of individual songs.  

This is a really invaluable resource - we're often asked for sheet music from the First World War, by music, musical theatre, and drama students.  Everyone should note this very useful link in a safe place.  (Karen's adding it to her Diigo account straight away.)

• World War I Sheet Music 
• Library of Congress homepage

Readers may be interested to note that the compiler, Paul Fraunfelter - Digital Conversion Specialist at the Library of Congress - will be giving a paper at a forthcoming conference on The Music of War: 1914-18, at the British Library in London:-

"The Music of War: 1914–1918
29–31 August 2014
British Library, London
"An international conference to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. Held as part of the British Library's Centenary events programme, supported by the Royal Musical Association, Music & Letters, and The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities."  Click HERE for further details.

Paul advises us that, "Among the many panels and presentations from international scholars, will be my ‘WWI Sheet Music at the Library of Congress: America’s War as Viewed by Publishers and the Public’, which is the associated essay on the LC site."

Old Irish Music - Edward Bunting's volumes at the British Library

We came across an article by Karen Loomis about Edward Bunting's own volumes of Irish music, annotated by him, and now in the British Library. Worth a look - here is the link to the article by Karen Loomis:-

• Edward Bunting’s Annotated Volumes of Irish Music: An Overlooked Treasure at the British Library / Karen Loomis 15 April, 2010
• British Library shelfmark - BL Add.41508 (Bunting's annotated copy of his first two volumes of Irish harp music)

Truly Fabulous - British Library Photostream on Flickr - Lovely Old Images

The British Library has uploaded lots of historic pictures which might be very useful indeed for stage and costume designers, or indeed as a source of images for a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation on a historical subject.

These are breathtaking - take a few moments to sample what's on offer:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary

British Library Advertising for Project Team Staff

This is a message that has been circulated to music librarians.  'Whittaker' is sharing it more widely:-

EUROPEANA SOUNDS 

Project staff required at British Library for Europeana Sounds

 

Europeana Sounds is a new EC-funded project, to run from 2014-2017, which will greatly improve the discovery of and access to Europe’s rich digital sound and music collections, by enriching metadata and by doubling the number of sounds and audio-related digital items on the Europeana web portal.

 

The project will build a sustainable best practice network including the 24 funded project partner institutions from 12 EU member states.

 

The British Library is recruiting three staff for its London offices to manage the project:

 

1. Project Manager (full time)

2. Metadata Manager (full time)

3. Project Support Officer (part-time)

 

Please see

https://gs10.globalsuccessor.com/fe/tpl_britishlibrary01.asp for details and online application forms

British Library Film Competition - Accents and Dialects

Interesting short film competition for our film, TV and Acting students.  The British Library is sponsoring it - you can find out all about it here, but the deadline is only a week away!  (Clear your desk, put your thinking cap on, get the camera charged up ...)

DEADLINE FRIDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2013

British Library Short Film Competition

Competition for Innovative Researchers

The British Library has launched a fabulous competition.  If you need funding for an innovative research project using the BL's digitised collections, visit this link:-

http://labs.bl.uk/Competition+2013

Use that creativity!  And good luck!

TV and Film Industry Guide

Here's a useful document from the British Library Business and IP* Centre:-

TV and Film Industry Guide (download pdf here)

British Library Business and IP Centre homepage - click here.

* IP - Intellectual Property

British Library event for film-makers

The Sheffield Doc/Fest summer event

20 August, at the British Library (London St Pancras)

Event details

Who should attend? Documentary film makers
Place: British Library Business & IP Centre
Cost: Free
How to Book: Book your place online

Event dates

Mon 20 August 2012, 16.00 - 18.00

Writing Britain

Whittaker's weekend has been extaordinarily varied - a vastly delayed overnight train still left time to visit the Writing Britain exhibition at the British Library on Friday morning.

http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/writingbritain/about/index.html

Friday afternoon was a social media conference; then Monday saw me heading to Cambridge University Library for a meeting, and then to hear a lecture, at the Library and Information History Group.

But although all these activities were really good, the jewel in the crown was that fabulous, wonderful exhibition, full of the most evocative and inspiring books, manuscripts and illustrations. To find gathered together so many books that I knew or had read about, and to be reminded also of some childhood favourites, was a delightful way to spend a couple of quiet hours.

Whittaker rhapsodized appropriately to the staff, then wafted off contentedly to Farringdon and the 21st century for the social media event.

If you have spare time in the London. Euston/St Pancras area, why not go and check out the British Library Writing Britain exhibition? I think you'll be glad you did!

Explore the British Library

• Searching for books on a subject?
• Compiling a bibliography? 

If you're writing up an essay, you'll already have a list of books and articles consulted.  But maybe you're scoping a subject before you begin a project?  Or you want to be sure you've got your bibliographic details correctly cited?

1. See what we have in the Whittaker Library - paper and electronic resources. Search our catalogue here.
2. Take a look at COPAC or the British Library catalogue.  COPAC lets you compare all the British university and national libraries, and Trinity College Dublin's library.  The British Library catalogue is just for their own materials, but it's great for checking different editions and just generally finding out what's out there.  There's a new link to the British Library this year.  Save it to your favourites, and to your Diigo account, so you can access it any time you want.

Digital Researcher

ANYONE doing research can harness the power of the web, so you too can be a digital researcher!

Monday 20th February 2012

Our helpful allies at Vitae are promoting a Digital Researcher event with the British Library.  Find out more here.

Picture borrowed from the Vitae website to help promote this event.

British Library open days for postgraduates

National Postgraduate Open Days

at the BRITISH LIBRARY

November 2011 - February 2012

The National Postgraduate Open Days are specially tailored days of talks, workshops and networking opportunities at the Library, focusing on your research subject. Each day includes a general introduction to relevant research sources, curator talks and workshops, and details on how to get a Reader Pass. To ensure the days are accessible to research postgraduates from across the UK, students from outside London may apply for a limited number of £30 travel bursaries.


The days are extremely popular, so early booking is advised. The days are free to attend and lunch is provided.


Find out more and book your place online at: http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/acrossuk/highered/heresearchers/natrestraining/trainingdays.html

Early Music Online - 16th century editions digitised and free!

Many of the British Library's rare or unique 16th-century music editions are now freely available online, thanks to a partnership between Royal Holloway, University of London, the British Library and JISC.



_____________________________________
Early Music Online                                         
_____________________________________

• The Early Music Online project has digitised from microfilm more than 300 anthologies of printed music from the 16th century.
• The earliest, a collection printed by Ottaviano Petrucci, dates from 1503
• Highlights of the collection include church music by Josquin des Prez, Thomas Tallis and William Byrd; drinking-songs from Nuremberg and love-songs from Lyon; lute music from Venice and organ music from Leipzig.

Librarians, musicians, researchers and students from around the world can now access these digitised editions free of charge via: http://www.earlymusiconline.org


Royal Holloway's digital repository direct link (showing all the anthologies digitised) is here.

Links to the digitised music have been embedded in the catalogue records in the British Library catalogue, COPAC and the RISM UK database.

#BLGK - Whittaker is at the Growing Knowledge exhibition at the British Library

Multi-Tasking as ever, 'Whittaker' hits London running - en route to an RMA Council Meeting, what better way to spend a birthday than to visit the Growing Knowledge Exhibition?  (It's been on Whittaker's wish-list for some months but 'he' doesn't visit London very often ...)

25 different digital tools to try - better get started!

• UK Web Archive - fantastic. (I searched 'Gaelic' with the Education and Research filter.  Masses of stuff.)
• British Library Microsoft Audio Search : turning speech into text (you have to be interested in the sample data for this demo to be much use, to be honest!)
• British Library Video Server - live content from BBC since May 2011.  (I confess, I searched for Kate Middleton.  I got results!)
• NYPL Map Rectification (rectify old maps in light of new knowledge. Fascinating. I found a map of Scotland dating from 1701- but couldn't view it in minute detail, which I'd have liked to have done.  Mull was there - but that was about as much as I could see!)
• Hmmm - Semantic Web technology.  I need a definition!
• Data.gov.uk - now this is interesting. You'd be astonished what you can learn about the running of our country (the UK, that is, not just Scotland ....)  2 minutes to find a whole load of meetings about copyright legislation, for example.
• London Lives (1690-1800) - 'access to 240,000 records from eight archives.  Names, places, occupations and dates ...'  Truly mind-boggling in scope.