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ARSC Newsletter (Summer 2000, No. 92)

Advertising

Help ARSC Grow with Matching Grants

Does your employer have a "matching contribution" program? Many do. This doubles your contribution to ARSC at no cost to you. Ask your employer and send your employer's form to Peter Shambarger, ARSC Executive Director along with your contribution.

Volunteer Needed: Assistant Editor, ARSC Journal

The Board of Directors of ARSC has created a new position and seeks qualified candidates for the position of Assistant Editor of the ARSC Journal, the premier journal of its kind in the world. The successful candidate will work directly with the editor of the ARSC Journal and assume responsibility for publication design and page layout, following agreed upon guidelines and specifications.

The individual will also be responsible for production coordination, working primarily with the designated printing company. Familiarity with computer technology in publication work, including page design/layout software is a prerequisite and experience in print production is an asset.

For information or to apply, contact Barry R. Ashpole, Editor, ARSC Journal at ashpole@telsec.net or by phone at (416) 362-4804 (during normal business hours), or (416) 486-9669 (evenings or weekends).

Classified Ads

78 RPM RECORD SLEEVE RESEARCH

WANTED: Vintage 78 rpm Era Company Record Sleeves for research in progress. For further information please visit our webpage at: http://www.bluesworld.com/Wayland.html .

Those wishing to include sleeves, for documentation in this project, are invited to contact:

Terry Tullos Wayland
Conservation Associates
17710 Ranch Road 12
Wimberley, Texas 78676-6008
Telephone/Fax: 512.847.9295
e-mail: archives@wimberley-tx.com

ELECTRICAL TRANSCRIPTIONS ON TAPE OF SAM HERMAN

WANTED: Electrical Transcriptions on tape of Sam Herman on Thesaurus 983 and 1004; any others? Charles Magnante Quartet on World 3169/3176. Contact:

Stanley Bozynski
8196 Thorntree Ct.
Grosse Ile, MI 48138-1517

ATTENTION 78 AND LP COLLECTORS!

Private record collector needs to dispose of huge and rare 78-RPM/Long-Playing classical record collection. My family and I must sell our home this summer. I would like all of these rare and fine classical recordings to go to a good home. Contact:

Marc Bernstein
165 Old Forest Hill Road
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M6C-2G7
Telephone: 416-781-3810 (h), 416-969-7800-Ext. 2278 (w)
e-mail: mbernstein165old@yahoo.com

RESEARCH ON "MIDGE" WILLIAMS

WANTED for research on the career of singer "Midge" Williams, tapes of these NBC radio shows: Shell Chateau (Al Jolson), Jan. 4, 1936; Studebaker Champions (Richard Himber), Dec. 7, 1936; Ben Bernie (for American Can), June 9, 1937. Also, any of the Blue Monday Jamboree CBS 1935 summer series. Contact:

Bob Arnold
6301 Dana St.
Oakland, CA 94609
Telephone: 510-655-6543

NATIONAL AUDIO COMPANY

Manufacturer and Duplicator of Audio Cassettes
Distributor of Quantegy, BASF, Mitsui, Telex, Fidelipac, and accessories
3M RDA T30 - $1.00 closeout sale.
Call 913-661-2475 for catalog.

TOM HAWTHORN'S MILLENNIUM AUCTION

Thanks to everyone who participated in our Millennium Auction. It turned out to be the biggest and best ever. We love our customers! Hawthorn's Antique Audio.

CONTRIBUTE TO ARSC AND SAVE ON TAXES

ARSC TREASURER Steve Ramm reminds members that contributions made in the form of appreciated securities or mutual funds are fully deductible at the fair market value on the date of the transfer. This is a way to exclude taxable gain on your investments and help ARSC at the same time. For further information call Steve Ramm at 215-545-3290 x130 or email him at stevenramm@aol.com.

SOMETHING NEW ON THE WEB!

Check out the new Hawthorns Antique Audio website for information on our record auctions, phonographs for sale, supplies, services and a few irreverent editorials: www.vfr.net/hawthorn
Thanks.

FREE ADS!

ARSC Members! Place free personal (not-for-profit) ads in the ARSC Newsletter. ARSC Members can place one free personal classified ad in each issue of the Newsletter (on a space available basis). Try it; you'll like it. Contact:

Ricki Kushner
Telephone: 202.707.0164 or 202.671.3434
Fax: 202.707.8464
e-mail: fkus@loc.gov

16-inch RADIO TRANSCRIPTIONS UP FOR AUCTION

A nice selection coming up on a special auction which will be sent out this Spring by request only. Also, an ALL EDISON auction is coming this Fall. For a free copy of either call Tom Hawthorn at (916) 773-4727
or send an e-mail request to hawthorn@garlic.com .

SCHUBERT DISCOGRAPHY

Schubert's Great C Major Symphony, D.944, A Discography. 218 pages. 172 recordings. Three indexes. Forward by Dr. José A. Bowen. Just published. Regularly $30; special price to ARSC members $25 postpaid with check. Contact:

Jerome F. Weber
1613 Sunset Ave.
Utica, NY 13502-5437.

FAT TUESDAY & ALL THAT JAZZ

SEARCHING for video, kinescope, anything visual re: 'Fat Tuesday & All That Jazz.' Had a TV appearance many years ago, featuring Bill Russell. Contact:

Lawrence Cohn
P.O. Box 1231
Beverly Hills, CA 90213

LOOKING FOR BALKAN RECORDS

IN SEARCH of records from Balkan Records of Berwyn/Chicago, IL. I especially want a copy of number 501. Contact:

Mike Stosich
4813 Wallbank Ave.
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Telephone: 630-969-9137
e-mail: EsotericTT@aol.com

JAZZ ART COLLECTION AUCTION

13 pieces. Closes December 30, 2000. Serious collectors may request descriptions and color photographs by sending $10 SASE or IRCs. Contact:

Bill Bacin
Box 394
Ingram, TX 78025

President's Message

In my previous President's Message, I listed six issues that our organization can approach as challenges or, as I prefer, opportunities. I will get to those in due course - in the meantime some news.

Arrangements for the London Conference are moving ahead. I'm really excited about it and I hope you are too. To assist in preparation we need an ARSC member in or near London who can represent us on the Local Arrangements Committee. If you are interested or know someone who is (or someone who is but doesn't know it yet), please inform a member of the Board or me.

I'm thrilled to announce that we have some new people on board to help out. Al Schlachtmeyer and Esther Gillie (see their biographical sketches elsewhere in this issue of the ARSC Newsletter), and Lorin Sklamberg, whose biographical sketch will appear in a future issue). They have agreed to serve as Publications Committee Chair, Advertising Manager, and Membership Directory Editor respectively. They will be great assets; drop them a line and say thanks if you are so inclined.

I'm not so thrilled to announce that we still have some vacancies in ARSC. If you or anyone you know is interested in serving as ARSC Conference Manager, please contact me at the addresses following this message. The position comes with a travel stipend, by the way. It is very important that we have a Conference Manager so please think about it. Also, ARSC is looking for an Assistant ARSC Journal Editor to assist Editor Barry Ashpole.

In the next message I will discuss identity and membership. If you would like to share some thoughts regarding those subjects, please contact me.

Heading onwards and upwards in the Big Apple I am,

Mark Tolleson, ARSC President
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
521 W. 43rd St.
New York, NY 10036    [until Spring 2001]
Telephone: (212) 870-1644
Fax: 714-8522
e-mail: arscprez00@hotmail.com

ARSC in London - A First

As you may already know, ARSC has accepted IASA's invitation to hold its 2001 Conference jointly in London, England. The dates are September 23-26, 2001, with a welcome reception on the evening of the 22nd. Here is essential information about the venue with the aim of persuading you that ARSC's first transatlantic conference will be full of interest and a whole lot of fun.

Under the title Why collect? : the purpose of audiovisual archives and collections, delegates from both organizations will attend joint sessions focusing on the rich cultural heritage which attracts all of us in our various roles to collecting and caring for recordings. This provocative title addresses the relationships between archivists, collectors, and users, to consider how they interact, and what the future holds in the more open and accessible environment of the Web. The call for papers appears elsewhere in this issue.

Why do we think that London will appeal to you? The conference venue itself is impressive. All sessions and some social events will take place in the purpose-built conference facilities of The British Library with its 250-seat, cinema-style auditorium equipped with state-of-the-art AV facilities. You will have the chance to tour the new library and see the National Sound Archive's (NSA) world-famous collections close-up. Tours of famous recording locations (Abbey Road) and archives (EMI and the BBC) will be arranged and there will be plenty of free time in the evenings or during breaks to browse in London's many specialist record shops (one of the best, Mole Jazz, is just a block away from the conference venue). There are plenty of opportunities for spending lavishly or simply eating out, shopping (Harrods, for instance), theaters, clubs and concert halls, but there's also plenty of variety and excitement to be had for less: NSA staff will be only too pleased to act as guides or make recommendations.

So forget all those stories about fog, strangely dressed detectives, plummy accents and warm beer (they can be arranged too, if you wish) and mark off late September 2001 for a trip to one of the most happening AV cities on the planet.

Chris Clark
Alan Ward
The British Library, National Sound Archive

First Call for Papers, ARSC-IASA 2001 Conference, London, England

The theme of next years's annual conference will be: "Why Collect? The Purpose of Audio-Visual Archives." The conference will explore and reinforce the role of institutional and individual collectors in preserving the audio-visual heritage:

  • Legislative provision: what must we keep? How can we keep pace with electronic publication and web-based distribution?
  • Who should do what? In the digital age we can share collecting responsibilities among us and provide shared access. But how?
  • Should institutions collect if they can't provide access? How should resources be shared among acquisition, storage and processing?
  • Should we collect for the needs of the present or those of the future?
  • "It's my collection and I'm proud of it": the riches in our collections and what we intend to do with them.
  • Private collectors and public archives: How should they coexist? How can we help each other? How do our functions and aims differ?

Speakers are strongly encouraged to illustrate their presentations with audio-visual examples as the venue is equipped with very good AV facilities. The program committee is keen to arrange "poster" sessions for less formal, weighty or definitive presentations. If you are interested in writing up a summary of your research to date or telling people about your collection, please contact us!

To suggest a topic please send a synopsis to the program committee:

Mike Biel, ARSC Program Chairperson
P.O. Box 822
Morehead, KY 40351-0822
Telephone: 606.783.2794 (w)
      606.674.2132 or 606.784.8404
Fax: 606.783.2457 e-mail: m.biel@morehead-st.edu or mbiel@kih.net

Board Actions from Spring Meeting

At its meeting in Chapel Hill, NC last spring, the ARSC Board voted unanimously to move forward with three broad programmatic initiatives. First, it voted to appoint a task force to review ARSC's use of the World Wide Web. President Mark Tolleson recommended examining use of ARSC's web site "from soup to nuts" with a view to asking how it might better serve the dual purposes of internal communications for society members and external communications to the broader world of audio collectors and preservationists. Secondly, the Board voted to recognize formally Bill Klinger for his outstanding proposal that was funded by NARAS and, as a result of this funding, for preparing a draft of his Cylinder Playback Equipment Guidelines. Bill's draft will soon be mounted on the ARSC web site. Recognizing that NARAS provided roughly half of the funds necessary to complete this project, the Board approved the Cylinder Sub-Committee's proposal to investigate sources for further funding, possibly with the aim of actually building a machine. Thirdly, the Board voted to appoint a Development Committee charged with raising the level of ARSC's income. This vote proceeded from recommendations in a report prepared by the Fund-Raising Task Force led by Jim Farrington that drew attention to the benefits of stability and long-term financial health that endowed funds could offer.

In other actions, the Board decided to work more closely with Chadwyck-Healey to insure that high-quality full text files of ARSC Journal articles appear in its online resource. The Editorial Committee is engaged in revising the author-publisher agreement so that rights to original work reside with authors. This Committee is also investigating the possibilities for indexing the ARSC Journal. Finally, President Mark Tolleson is seeking a new editor for the ARSC Membership Directory.

Overall, the Spring Board meeting proved fast-paced and productive, yielding decisions and actions directed at advancing the collective interests of ARSC and its members.

Virginia Danielson
ARSC Secretary

ARSC Member Al Franz dies

It is with regret that we note the passing of Al Franz. Al was a long-time member of ARSC, and had served as ARSC Assistant Archivist up to his death. Here is his death notice.

Alton Lee Franz, died suddenly August 12, 2000. He is survived by his children, Gregory and Bradley Franz, and Christine Armbruster; 3 grandchildren; and 6 sisters. He was involved in many worthy causes; Amnesty International, Green Peace, and Citizens for the Protection of Ohio, and he volunteered at the Medical Library at OSU. Donations in memory of Alton to:

Musical Arts Association
Severence Hall
11001 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106

Peter Shambarger, ARSC Executive Secretary, remembers Al:

I'm sorry to see that our assistant archivist, Al Franz recently passed away in an auto accident. Al helped Harold Heckendorn over many years with the [ARSC] archive and was VERY helpful in locating materials after Harold's health began failing. Al also helped prepare the archive for the move. He was also in charge of maintaining the storage of the extra ARSC Journals (1968-present), AND filled any orders for back publications which I didn't have on hand. I have had a lot of contact with Al during my years as Executive Director and I know that he (and his work for ARSC) will be missed.

ARSC 2000 Conference Tapes Now Available

Audiocassette tapes of selected sessions presented at the 2000 ARSC conference in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, are now available for purchase from the Rosenthal Archives of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at a cost of $10.00 per tape; an order form is attached. All orders will be shipped via air mail; please allow 4 weeks for delivery. For additional information including the availability of tapes from previous conferences contact the Rosenthal Archives at (312) 294-3055, or e-mail archives@chicagosymphony.org.

[A list of available tapes and an order form are included with this issue. For online information, click here. Tapes from earlier Conferences are still available as well.]

ARSC Grants Program

The Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) Grants Program is designed to encourage and support scholarship and publication by individuals in the field of sound recordings or audio preservation. Specific projects eligible for support include discography, bibliography, historical studies of the sound recording industry and its products, and any other subject likely to increase the public's understanding and appreciation of the lasting importance of recorded sound. Recipients are encouraged to submit articles about their projects to be considered for publication in the ARSC Journal.

Both ARSC members and non-members are eligible for grants in amounts up to $1000. Grant funds can be used to underwrite clerical, travel, and editorial expenses; funds may not be used to purchase capital equipment or recordings, to reimburse applicants for work already performed, or to support projects which form part of a job or academic program. Grant recipients are required to submit brief descriptions of their projects for publication in the ARSC Journal and documentation of their expenses before reimbursement; and funds must be disbursed within eighteen months of the grant award.

Applications for an ARSC grant should include:

  1. A summary of the project (one page maximum), with samples of the work attached if possible;
  2. A budget covering the entire project and highlighting the expenses the ARSC grant will cover (one page maximum);
  3. A curriculum vitae;
  4. An indication of the prospects for publication or other public presentation of the project results.

Applications should be sent to:

Richard Warren
ARSC Grants Committee Chairman
Historical Sound Recordings
Yale University Library
P.O. Box 208240
New Haven, CT 06520-8240
U.S.A.

The deadline for receipt of applications is February 28, 2001. Grants will be awarded at the ARSC Board of Directors meeting held each spring.

Introducing ARSC People

Esther Gillie, ARSC Advertising Manager

Esther Gillie is currently the Sound Recording Archivist for the Eastman Audio Archive, a Special Collection of the Sibley Music Library of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY where she has served for three years. In this capacity, she oversaw the transfer of the collection from the Department of Recording Arts and Services to the Sibley Music Library in 1999, and has since overseen the creation and installation of a fully functional Historic Recording Equipment Room which serves to create service copies of recorded materials in the collection. Part of her responsibilities include procuring and managing grants for the preservation of deteriorating recordings and has to date worked on a number of New York State funded preservation grants. She is Project Manager of the Eastman American Music Series put out by the Albany Records label, and additionally tracks the commercial recording activities of Eastman faculty.

In her position as staff member in the Watanabe Special Collections Department, Esther integrates the audio materials with other Special Collections including those from retired faculty, collections of twentieth-century American manuscripts, and the Eastman School Archives. In addition to graduate studies in music at Eastman, Esther is currently working on her MLS degree through the distance learning program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Outside her regular job, Esther serves as the Director of Music at the Webster United Church of Christ Congregational where she conducts the Chancel and Adult Bell Choirs and oversees the music program. She also serves as a member of the ARSC Education and Training Committee, and is a member of MLA and ACDA.

The Guy with the Big Name

Al Schlachtmeyer, our new Publications Committee Chair, is a native Chicagoan and a member of ARSC since the mid-70's. He and his wife, Sandra, live in Alexandria, Virginia in that city's historic "Old Town" district. Al's fascination with recorded sound goes back to his childhood where he spent many hours listening to his grandmother's 78s of German folk and band music. He began collecting at the dawn of the LP era, and his stash now includes nearly 15,000 items. Although his interests are centered on classical/historical discs and tapes, Al sometimes admits to a taste for Stan Freberg, Bob & Ray, Art Tatum, and Don Shirley.

Al's business career includes 33 years as a management consultant in human resources and organizational communication. His academic background features both undergraduate and graduate work at Northwestern University. In addition to his ongoing consulting activities, Al works part time at the Library of Congress Recorded Sound Division and at the Smithsonian Institution. He travels widely and is on the Board of a small business in the Washington, D.C. area. His two daughters are involved in consulting and theater in New York City.

Coming Events of Possible Interest to Members

Here is a listing of events to help ARSC members plan for participation.

2000:

Aug. 6-11     IAML     Annual Conference = Edinburgh, Scotland
Aug. 13-16     IFLA     General Conference - Jerusalem, Israel
Sep. 22-25     AES     109th Convention - Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 13-18     AMIA     Annual Conference - Los Angeles, CA
Nov.  TBA      ANSI/PIMA     Joint Technical Commission - Los Angeles, CA

2001:

Jan. 12-17     ALA     Midwinter Meeting - Washington, D.C.
Feb. 21-25     MLA     Annual Conference - New York, NY
June 14-20     ALA     Annual Conference - San Francisco, CA
July  8-14     IAML     Annual Conference - Périgueux, France
Aug. 16-25     IFLA     67th Council and Conference - Boston, MA
Sep. 23-26     ARSC/IASA     Annual Conference - London, Great Britain

2002:

Feb. 16-21     MLA     Annual Conference - Las Vegas, NV

Note:
AES = Audio Engineering Society
ALA = American Library Association
AMIA = Association of Moving Image Archivists
IAML = International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centers
IASA = International Association of Sound and Audio-Visual Archives
IFLA = International Federal of Library Associations
ISO = International Standards Organization
MLA = Music Library Association

Publication Information

The ARSC Newsletter is published quarterly in February, June, September, and November. All submissions, including advertising, must be typed and clearly worded. Electronic e-mail submissions are strongly encouraged to this address:

Ted Sheldon, Editor
UMKC, Miller Nichols Library
5100 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO     64110-2499
e-mail: sheldont@umkc.edu
Fax: 816.333.5584
Telephone: 816.235.1531

To arrange advertising in all ARSC publications contact:

Esther Gillie, ARSC Advertising Manager
Sibley Music Library
Eastman School of Music
27 Gibbs Street
Rochester, NY 14604
Telephone: (716) 274-1330
Fax: (716) 274-1380
e-mail: esth@mail.rochester.edu

Claims or other notification of issues not received must be sent to:

Executive Director, ARSC
P.O. Box 543
Annapolis, MD     21404-0543
e-mail: peters@umd5.umd.edu

Web site: www.arsc-audio.org for back issues of the ARSC Newsletter and further information about ARSC.

Upcoming Submission Deadlines

  • No. 93 (Fall 2000) Advertising: November 1, 2000; Editorial: November 7, 2000
  • No. 94 (Winter 2001) Advertising: February 1, 2001; Editorial: February 7, 2001
  • No. 95 (Spring 2001) Advertising: May 1, 2001; Editorial: May 7, 2001
  • No. 96 (Summer 2001) Advertising: August 1, 2001; Editorial: August 7, 2001

 

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