Hi, thanks for your reply. I think it is very useful to consider websites that have reached, as you say, the "1st edition" phase. Certainly a website has to compare in quality and depth to other contenders. Since websites can include copious audio samples and cover graphics, I believe that this should be taken into account when comparing sites to print works. IMHO, a site that includes sound samples is much more valuable to researchers and devotees than a printed or online list, no matter how wonderful the list.
I'll respond privately with some details about my own sites.
Happy Thanksgiving, all.
Joel
Joel Bresler 250 E. Emerson Road Lexington, MA 02420 United States
1-781-862-4104 (Telephone & FAX) joel.br@xxxxxxxxxxx IN CASE OF VERIZON EMAIL PROBLEMS, PLEASE USE MY BACK-UP EMAIL: joelbresler-at-gmail.com
-----Original Message----- From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Nelson-Strauss, Brenda Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 3:18 PM To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] ARSC Awards -- Award criteria (was: Awards 2009 - Call for Nominations)
To answer Joel's questions, I believe the Awards Committee is open to considering websites that are nominated for ARSC awards (the committee doesn't have time to surf the web seeking out worthy websites- the author or another individual needs to bring them to our attention via an official nomination).
There are, of course, several issues that make websites more difficult to evaluate. First, according to our guidelines, we must be able to establish a date of publication (we are currently considering materials published in 2008). Since most websites are updated frequently and evolve over time, we haven't quite decided what might constitute an official date of publication. In any case, we would at least need to be notified that the content is in its final form. Second, the website would need to hold its own against published items within the same category- i.e., there would have to be sufficient content to make it a contender against published histories/discographies.
So far, no one has nominated a website for consideration, so the judges have not yet put the issue to the test. As for Joel's websites, "Follow the Drinking Gourd" does not seem to be finished. If "Sephardic Music" is in its final form (or let's say "1st edition" phase), let us know and we can circulate the link to the judges use it as a test case.
Brenda
Brenda Nelson-Strauss Archives of African American Music and Culture Indiana University 2805 E. 10th, Suite 180 Bloomington, IN 47408 812-855-7530 bnelsons@xxxxxxxxxxx www.indiana.edu/~aaamc www.blackgrooves.org
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