Hi John:
I'm wondering if there is a scenario where, at about the same budget level as current CD-purchasing,
libraries can gain arrangements with something like Spotify so a patron logs in using their library
username and password and gets a certain amount of access -- perhaps not all they can eat but
perhaps a certain number of hours per month. There is a download system called Freegal, of which I'm
sure you're aware. They have it in both my home and work public library systems, but the selection
is mostly Sony-only and patrons are limited to 3 downloads per week so it's not terribly practical
as far as variety and building a collection of legal downloads. However, my attitude to Freegal is,
well I probably wouldn't buy some or most of the music I get that way through retail channels, but
some of it turns out in frequent rotation, so I am grateful to my library for offering the service.
There may be a generation of library patrons coming up who don't want to look through shelves of CDs
and would much rather prefer to use their computer to borrow whatever music or video they desire. I
hope you have some 20-something "born digital" folks on your committee, because they are the library
users of the coming decades. The Boomers are now fading, and me and my Gen-X mates aren't far behind
them. "The Kids" seem to have very different media consumption habits, and a forward-looking library
must take that into account, in my opinion. Otherwise, its enthusiastic supporters and those who see
to its funding will die off and it will fade away.
-- Tom
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Vallier" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2014 12:21 AM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Future of CDs
> While it's impossible to predict the future of anything--including CDs--I do think we can say we
> are seeing an increase in the distribution of online-only music (and video). This presents a
> growing issue for libraries and archives. As more sound recordings are licensed and distributed
> through online-only means and are accompanied by restrictive licenses that explicitly forbid
> institutional ownership and such core library functions as lending, the amount of published
> material available for libraries to collect is slowly shrinking. It may not be a huge swell of
> titles at this point, but there are some significant ones: e.g., Dudamel's DG release of Brahms
> Symphony No. 4.
>
> U Washington and MLA have received an IMLS grant this year to look at the issue and to brainstorm
> possible solutions. Called “National Forum on Online-Only Music," the project is essentially a
> series of meetings, fueled by white papers written by leading experts in IP and other areas. The
> final of our three meetings will be held in conjunction with NRPB's annual meeting in DC this
> fall. We hope to develop approaches to the issues including a licensing scenario by which
> libraries may purchase and provide access to online-only music. More about the grant can be found
> here:
> http://guides.lib.washington.edu/imls2014
>
> If you come across examples of online-only music, please share them with me off-list. I'll add
> them to our "Online-Only Music Roster" that can be found at the above site.
>
> - John
> __________
> John Vallier
> Head, Distributed Media
> U of Washington Libraries, Seattle
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Richard Griscom [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 11:29 AM
>> To: MLA-L
>> Subject: [MLA-L] Future of CDs
>>
>> The CD might not be dying anytime soon, but there is clearly a trend away
>> from the purchase of physical objects toward the purchase of digital
>> downloads:
>>
>> http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/5901188/cd-alb
>> um-sales-fall-behind-album-downloads-is-2014-the
>>
>> Dick
>>
>> --
>> Richard Griscom
>> Head, Otto E. Albrecht Music Library and office 215/898-3450
>> Eugene Ormandy Music and Media Center
>> Interim Head, Fisher Fine Arts Library office 215/573-4635
>> University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 19104-6206
>
>
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