Subject: An Update, Some Requests for Input, and Some Good News

Date: Saturday, December 8, 2001 3:43 PM

From: David A. Day <dad@email.byu.edu>

Greetings dear colleagues!

I hope this message finds you all safe and well! Although I have been silent for a few months we have continued to work on the Internet database for RIAM. The student worker I mentioned in my last message is doing a good job. He works on the database design almost every weekday. It has been running on the Internet for some time as he develops it. It should be ready to unveil in a few weeks. It is currently online, but I would like to wait a couple of weeks before I announce the address or URL.

I would like to explain one change we have made in the application design and construction. Although we had discussed developing the application in MySQL and PHP, we are currently developing it with MySQL and WebObjects. WebObjects is an application server that accomplishes what could also be done with PHP. The details of how it works may be more complicated to explain than is necessary at this time. I suggest that we first get ready to unveil the database and then open the discussion of its design and configuration.

I still anticipate that we can stay on schedule and begin data entry in January. I have some very good news about this phase of the project. I have been told that I was awarded a BYU Library grant that will enable me to hire a student worker to import existing records. I should be able to hire the student in January. We will begin by testing ways to import AMC records from RLIN. I would also like to have the student work on converting and entering records found in some print catalogs. I will be contacting some of you individually that may be responsible for such print catalogs and request your permission to modify your data for our database. With the student’s assistance and with additional data entry by our group I hope to have a large body of sample records in the system in time for the Berkeley meeting.

Now some questions and issues related to the database that I need everyone’s help with:

1.  I would like to propose some changes to how we deal with subject access.

I suggest that we have fields that would enable us to add secondary names as subjects. I think this would be a good idea because this information is found in many RLIN AMC records and other catalogs of archives. These names would not be mandatory.

If we proceed to create fields for secondary names, I suggest that the information be maintained in the same related file as the creator names. In this way there would only be one file for names. It would be a related file. When a name is updated the changes will automatically be updated in all related records.

I suggest that we have two categories of fixed broad or general subject terms. These would be similar to the “Major Topic” headings of RILM (in design, not content). The first level would be very broad such as “Theater Archives”. The second level would be more specific sub category, for example, “Theater Personnel Financial Records”.

These two levels of fixed subject terms would be a limited and controlled vocabulary that could be translated and used for searching in different languages. The first level might be made mandatory, while the second level might be optional.

These two levels of fixed subject terms still need to be developed by the group. Would anyone be willing to volunteer to work on this???

There should also be a third level of subject terms that would be much more specific. These might be uncontrolled local terms, or the group might decide to adopt a common system of subject terms such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings. This is open for discussion. Because the ISAD standard does not require any subject terms, I would expect that this third level of specific terms would be optional.

The database is design in a manner that will treat these specific terms as a related file. When a term from this file is updated, it will be updated in all related records automatically.

2.  I need your input on how to maintain the files with information about locations. We have location information for the main archive of each record. We also have location information for “Associated Materials”, “Location of Copies”, and “Locations of Originals”. There are also references to other local archives in “Related Materials”.

The system could be designed in a manner that would have references to “Related Materials” and “Associated Materials” simply pointing to other records for those archives in the main file. This might be a more efficient database design, but I don’t like it because it implies full records (with the mandatory fields) would need to be created for archives that might be at institutions that are not participating or for archives that might be only indirectly related to music.

I suggest that the data for locations be treated as basically an address file without reference to a specific archive. Then wherever a location designation is required it will be linked to that related file. “Related Materials” and “Associated Materials” would be listed as independent archives (not part of the main file) with links to corresponding locations. Was that confusing enough?

3.  I think it is time to begin translating the data entry forms and the guidelines for data entry into different languages. I would like to ask for some volunteers to help.

The document with the guidelines for data entry has been added as a link on the website for our project (http://music.lib.byu.edu/IDMA/idma.html)(click on ISAD Field Guide (Translations Requested). Please have a look at it. Please read it and study it. Then let me and the others on the list know if you think it is adequate.

If you would like to have the RIAM database with an interface in your national language, then please help find someone to volunteer to translate it. I would be delighted if it were available in many languages including, Russian, Japanese, Spanish, Swedish, Dutch, etc. I am quite certain that our server can handle the different alphabets.

Once the URL for the database is announced it should be possible to also translate the labels for each of the fields.

I am excited about the progress of our project. I will be making two presentations about it at the upcoming MLA meeting at Las Vegas in February. It would be fantastic if we could have these issues and features resolved and in place at that time. I would like to have at least one example of using the system in a foreign language.

I apologize that this message and request for your input comes at a very busy time of the year. I hope you will have a chance to respond.

Whatever your activities and traditions for this holiday season, I wish you all the very best! Thank you for your interest and participation!

David Day