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Re: [ARSCLIST] Libraries disposing of records
Dear Phillip,
How would a researcher truely understand the intersection of sexualization,
racial identity, commercialization, media consolidation, marketing, and
identity development amongst pre-teen girls if pop records were not
preserved? I think that is a reason to save the Backstreet Boys and Vanilla
Ice. Their cultural impact goes far beyond radio hits because it represents
so much else that was going on during the 1990s.
Courtney B
(NKOTB expert, very happy to drive by the historical marker for Mario
Lanza's home this afternoon)
On 1/5/07, phillip holmes <insuranceman@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
You know, I'm sure there were hundreds of sides that were the equivalent
of Britney Speers' "oops i did it again". Pop music doesn't necessarily
need to be preserved if it takes resources away from something truly
unique (interviews, broadcasts, lectures, etc.) or productive. I'm
sure many of us got into this because of a love for music, but you know
there's lots of crap out there that doesn't merit being saved. Maybe
one of you can look me in the face and tell me that we MUST preserve the
outputs of The Backstreet Boys and Vanilla Ice. I say fine, YOU pay for
it. But if their entire catalog was "sent to the cornfields" by Billy
Mumy, I wouldn't miss a minute of sleep.
Phillip
Steve Ramm wrote:
> I specifically said "I don't want to start a discussion" but I see
I did.
>
> My only take on this is that when the Temple University library needed
to
> dispose of their 78 rpm records (to build a new Student Union) they
called 5
> local knowledgeable person here (I was one but less knowledgeable than
the
> others). They said "take what you want". I know that when it got to me
(5th) I
> could only find about 75 records I wanted for FREE! The rest were
duplicate runs
> of Carusos and other common Red Seals and lots of 10in and 12 in
classical
> 78 sets. The pop stuff was mostly pop vocals and bands on red label
Columbias.
> Many of these were "donated" to the Temple library. They didn't even
have a
> 78 player. My guess is about 10,000 remaining records were discarded.
>
> I took a few interesting records which will be preserved but the cost
of the
> University maintaining the collection was too much.
>
> By same token the Frankllin Institute here in Philly needed to build
an Imax
> Theater and - since overy few were using their library they auctioned
off
> the contents. I was lucky to get their run of Talking Machine and
Phonograph
> Weekly from 1918-1942 (they broke up in lots). But no one was asking to
use them
> so they may be better off this way. Think of all the kids learning
about
> space, etc at the Imax theater. Certainly more than used the library.
>
> It seems to me that general libraries might cull out things which are
> duplicated. If they have the 12 CD set of Victor Carusos they can
discard the 78s
> -(I know the sound transfers may be controversial), and they can sell
them at
> book sale to raise money for others. Believe me the Harry Potter books
will
> be sold in a few years also. Just go to Blockbuster and see the extra
copies of
> previously-rented DVDs being sold for $5.00 two months after their
> popularity has peaked.
>
> Well, I guess I rambled more than I wanted.
>
> Anyway... I'm not sure those on the list have an answer to the problem.
> We're too close to the subject to understand why folks throw things out.
>
> And we haven't discussed the need for libraries to keep encyclopedias
when
> everything is on the Internet! And the World Book fits on ONE CD-ROM
(which
> seems to come with EVERY PC you buy.
>
> Steve Ramm
>
>
>
>
--
<a href="http://www.axisoftweevil.blogspot.com"Axis of Tweevil: Music,
Community, and Spirit</a> <br> <a
href="http:://www.librariness.blogspot.com"> Librariness: Library
obsessiveness </a>