Dear All,
Re BPI agreement...my understanding was, when this was originally being
negotiated, that our main argument, for applying for this unique
opportunity/monopoly to lend audio, was purely service based on behalf of
our public ie income generation was not an issue..if it had been the BPI
would probably not have granted the licence!
I agree very strongly with David from Somerset about the way forward.
The average potential audio user has always been more knowledgeable about
general audio product than the book user has about book product..{check out
the range of music magazines in a typical newsagents!}..This situation has
become even more apparent..to me anyway(?)
The internet has certainly changed the ground rules...audio users can now
explore and 'get a handle' on an incredibly wide range of music. We are
being found out because, for many reasons, we cannot connect with this more
sophisticated audience.
Resources..not enough being expended on audio product in such a way as to
provide, and maintain, a proper representation of musical genres
Locations..too many locations trying, and failing, to meet the above
objective..resources become too diluted across an authority leading to
smaller and smaller collections
Standards..no realistic or specific idea of what an audio service or
collection should be...Why can't we be like sport/leisure managers. They
know that a swimming pool has to have quite specific parameters of depth,
width, length and, yes, shallowness to be viable.
I'm very lucky..I have a very healthy budget, for one location, which means
I can keep lots of 'audio plates' spinning simultaneously. It also means
the scope and size of the collection expands. Almost all musical genres,
and sub genres, are 'popular', from Japanese underground and improv to
Mongolian throat singing, free jazz, contemporary clasical and opera,
electronica, indie, psychedelia, blues etc etc. There is no real
difference between the demand we experience for Mariam & Amadou and U2..in
fact we probaly issue M & A more.
Obviously I am providing this service in a city environment..it has some
advantages(sic)...but the people who use us are just the 'ordinary
man/woman/child in the street.
Chris Anderson's book on the Long Tail reinforces this concept.."we are not
living in the culture of the blockbuster and best seller. In fact we are
living in the culture of the niche and the eccentric" ie...the long tail.
Audio demand has always been a bit of an iceberg..visually small on top,
massive below the waterline..the bit below the water is now growing as the
top shrinks..(global warming?)
Either we seriously try to connect with this situation or abandon it
altogether.. but the fault/reason will be ours alone. The public demand is
not in decline.
Lastly on the BPI..I quite like the 3 month holdback ..it gives me a
timescale to help identify the dross a bit better
Garry Gale
Library Officer
Edinburgjh Central Music & Audio Library
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