Organizing the Instrumental Music Ensemble Library With Aid of a Machine-assisted System

The performance library is an integral part of most instrumental music programs but these libraries are often not well organized. The goals of this project were to examine the requirements for efficient administration of the performance library, to recommend organizational schemes, and to develop a system for computer-aided indexing of the band repertoire
 
Chapter I is an introduction; Chapter II explores the process of building the library. Publisher’s catalogs, works on the practice of instrumental music, annotated select music lists, and other guides to music are examined. Recommendations on the types of music that should be represented in the collection are made. Chapter III deals with library organization. Categories for cataloging and indexing are examined and organizational systems for card index files are explored. Responsibilities and procedures for the library staff are examined and provisions for the physical arrangement, storage, and security of the collection are outlined
 
Chapter IV examines the application of information-retrieval technology to the problems of performance library administration and outlines the MELISMA program designed by the author to meet the library requirements of the instrumental director. The MELISMA program is writted in SPITBOL and utilizes a data base of encoded library entries. The encoded entries describe the listed instrumental works by the indices of file number, composer, type, period, style, setting, length, solo, special features, and publisher. Searches can be made using any one or a combination of these indices. There is also an inventory function which retrieves all encoded titles. Successful searches result in the decoding and printing of all the descriptive information on works conforming to the requested indices. Chapter V explores the use of the MELISMA system, giving procedures for completing searches, encoding library entries, editing the MELISMA program, and suggestions for additional uses. Appendices include a list of the MELISMA operational program, sample searches, encoded library listings, and a sample encoding blank.