Tag Archives: Music

Featured Materials, Library News

Public Domain Day 2019

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On January 1st 2019, works copyrighted in 1923 entered the public domain! This is the first “Public Domain Day” since Congress extended copyright in 1998. Books, films, and sheet music copyrighted that year in the United States are now free to use without seeking permission or paying fees. (Only the 1923 editions, if there are later copyrighted editions! Librarians call this the 1923 manifestation of a work.)

Duke University’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain has a detailed explanation and a list of some notable items that have “gone public.” They may be worth considering for course or research project materials. HathiTrust already has released over 20,000 books and scientific reports copyrighted in 1923.

Some works from 1923 are startlingly out of touch with current values. The full lyrics of “Yes! We Have No Bananas” – a song refrain my family has sung for years – reveal it is an ethnic caricature. Songs making fun of ethnic groups were popular in the 1920s. The Library of Congress has more examples, plus curricula for teaching about them and about attitudes towards immigrants. As upsetting as such materials may be, having them publicly available is important to understanding our current social climate.

A librarian can help you locate public domain materials, and answer your copyright questions. Here’s to many happy returns of Public Domain Day!

Events, Library News

What are digital humanities? Find out at THATCamp!

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The Humanities And Technology = THATCamp

We are participating in THATCamp Midwest @ Purdue University Fort Wayne. It will take place Friday October 5th from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., followed by optional discussion time. THATCamp Midwest @ Purdue Fort Wayne will function a bit differently than the usual THATCamp as there will be more focus on learning about digital humanities, which means we will have more structure and pre-scheduled sessions. It is perfect for faculty, staff, and students wishing to move into this field.

The day will include brief presentations, panel discussions, and workshops covering topics including: metadata tagging, social networking and data visualization, digital collections, digital project management, animation, augmented reality, and incorporating digital projects in classes/programs. A preliminary schedule is posted here on the website, where you can also register to attend. We hope to see you there!

Books

The music between us : is music a universal language? / Kathleen Marie Higgins

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Call number: ML3916 .H54 2012

From our first social bonding as infants to the funeral rites that mark our passing, music plays an important role in our lives, bringing us closer to one another. In The Music between Us, philosopher Kathleen Marie Higgins investigates this role, examining the features of human perception that enable music’s uncanny ability to provoke, despite its myriad forms across continents and throughout centuries, the sense of a shared human experience. Drawing on disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, musicology, linguistics, and anthropology, Higgins’s richly researched study showcases the ways music is used in rituals, education, work, healing, and as a source of security and—perhaps most importantly—joy. By participating so integrally in such meaningful facets of society, Higgins argues, music situates itself as one of the most fundamental bridges between people, a truly cross-cultural form of communication that can create solidarity across political divides. Moving beyond the well-worn takes on music’s universality, The Music between Us provides a new understanding of what it means to be musical and, in turn, human. (From Google Books)

Databases, Updates

What’s New at Grove Music Online

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Over the summer, several new additions have expanded Grove Music Online including 88 new articles, the first installment of from the forthcoming second edition of the Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments, and 190 articles from the Grove Dictionary of American Music. Visit What’s New to read more.

As an authority in music research for over a century, Grove Music Online strives to ensure that you get the most out of music research.
With more than 50,000 music articles, Grove Music Online has a breadth of musical information features you might not have discovered yet.
Did you know?
  • Detailed composers’ works lists make excellent material for research projects.
  • Grove Music Online includes Music Timelines that provide a concise history of several subjects in music such as Women in Music.