The document describes a project at the University of West Georgia to transfer music recital recordings from deteriorating cassette tapes to compact discs and digital files. It involved using audio software to record the tapes and create tracks on CDs. Full catalog records were created for the CDs and digital files were stored externally. Issues around copyright and potential future streaming of the recordings are also discussed. Examples from the University of Texas and Baylor University of streaming recital recordings through institutional repositories are provided.

1. by Shelley Rogers
Associate Professor and Senior Cataloger;
Library Liaison to the Department of Music
University of West Georgia
Preservation and Access to
Recital History: A Cataloging
Project at UWG
1

2. Description of a project at U. of West Ga. of
transferring music recital history from cassette
tapes to compact discs; also, associated
copyright concerns and digitization efforts.
Abstract
2

3. The 2014 annual conference of the Music
Library Association featured sessions on
preservation, which inspired me to convert
our cassette tapes to compact discs and to
save the digital files for future streaming
use.
How I Got the Idea
3

4. The 2015 annual conference of the Music
Online Users Group (MOUG) featured a
plenary session on digitization of
institutional recordings in Texas.
More Info
4

5. UWG used cassette tapes
to record recitals by
music students and
concerts by others, like
faculty and guest artists.
These are actual tapes
from the circulating
collection.
Cassette tapes are
deteriorating
5

6. This medium was utilized
approximately 1996-
2003. (Compact discs
were used after that.)
That means we had
about 8 years worth of
tapes--259 titles--that
were becoming useless
due to their condition.
6
Cassette tapes

7. These are the boxes of
archival tapes, which did
not circulate. Duplicate
copies were available in
the circulating collection
for checkout. If the
circulating tape was
broken, I used the
archival tape for this
project.
Special Collections tapes
7

8. I used a tape deck connected to a computer to record the music on the tape
to the C drive of a computer. Using Sound Forge Pro 10 software, I created
tracks and burned a CD of the concert. (We bought version 11 for me to use
on my computer, but a software glitch meant it did not work well, so I
borrowed a computer from Special Collections that had version 10 loaded on
it, which worked fine.) I also stored the WAV files on an external hard drive
and hope to make them available electronically later as streaming files.
Workflow: technical processes
8

9. Start by opening a
new window in
Sound Forge Pro
9

10. 10
OK settings

11. 11
Opened window

12. 12
There are two ways to
record the tape into the
software: click on the red
bulls-eye record button in
the top left of the control
panel, or click on the
record button in the
lower left of the opened
window. After clicking
the button, start playing
the tape.
Record

13. 13
Complete recording

14. 14
Insert markers at the
beginning and end of
the recording, and at
the beginning and
end of each work.
Delete the dead
space between
works.
Insert markers

15. 15
Create regions from markers

16. 16
Okay the conversion

17. 17
The orange markers are now green regions.
Regions created

18. 18
Create tracks from regions

19. 19
Tracks created

20. 20
Save the file as the call
number, as it will also
be a unique file name.
Do not put a period at
the end (e.g., "Feb.")
because it will cause
problems with the WAV
file; however, it is okay
to have a period in the
middle of the file name
for the first Cutter.
Save as
call number

21. 21
Insert a blank
CD-R disc in the
D drive and
start the CD
burn.
Burn CD

22. 22
I generally
burned the
discs at max
speed with
Sound Forge
Pro 10, but this
was a problem
with version
11.0.
Burn settings

23. 23
The software will burn
the lead in first, then the
tracks. I experienced
problems with the track
burn in Sound Forge Pro
11.0; it would freeze and
the disc was wasted.
Burning messages

24. 24
Successful burn message

25. 25
Go back to your C drive and locate the files: an SFK file and a WAV file.
Work with files

26. 26
Delete SFK file

27. 27
My library bought an
external hard drive
with 1 terabyte of
space for me. My
external hard drive
has 820 GB free of
931 GB, so this
project used 111 GB.
Send WAV file
to external hard
drive

28. 28
Delete C drive file

29. I did full original cataloging of the CDs in RDA, and the discs were
processed and added to our circulating collection. I provided an insert
for the CD jewel case by copying and pasting the call number,
title/statement of responsibility, and contents note from the
bibliographic record. I discarded the circulating tape, which involved
taking holdings out of the catalog. I also added holdings in our local
catalog for the archival tape held by Special Collections, since our
original cataloging had only noted the circulating copy.
Workflow: cataloging processes
29

30. 30
I created an Excel
spreadsheet to record my
progress. I can go back
later to update a record;
also, holdings are easily
identified, whether local
(6-digit Voyager number)
or global (8-digit OCLC
number). This could
serve as a basis for
metadata creation later.
Tracking the
cataloging process

31. 31
• Performer owns the copyright, with the institution having
limited rights
• Best practice is to have present performers (students, faculty,
guest artists) sign a waiver of rights
• Former performers can't be located, so provide copyright
protection for the institution by placing recordings behind a
firewall; i.e., only authenticated users can access online,
whether on or off campus
Copyright best practices

32. 32
• UWG does not have an institutional repository yet and
we are not streaming our recitals
• University of Texas at Austin has successful IR practice
• Baylor University is contemplating streaming
Streaming best practices

33. 33
• Streaming graduate student recital recordings through IR since Jan. 2014
• Recording studio makes digital audio files (and PDF files for the recital
programs) for current recitals
• Create Dublin Core metadata for the repository
• MARC record created on OCLC for each recital with URL to the IR
• Access restricted to those with UT EID (Electronic IDentification)
• http://musicoclcusers.org/wp-content/uploads/Ringwood-Recital-
Recordings-at-UT.ppt
Alan Ringwood,
Head, Music & Multimedia Resources Cataloging, University of Texas at Austin
approximately 700 music students

34. 34
• Record recital in WAV format
• Metadata added and tracks notated in real time
• MP3 created and both files uploaded to Box
• WAV file moved to preservation server
• MP3 moved to ContentDM
• Student worker adds metadata
• Work is quality controlled and released
• http://musicoclcusers.org/wp-content/uploads/Recital-recordings.pptx
Chris Diamond,
Library Information Specialist IV, Baylor University
approximately 400 music students
Proposed Digitization

35. 35
Shelley Rogers
shelley@westga.edu
678-839-6351
Questions & Discussion