Applications of RISM data in digital libraries and digital musicology

Abstract

Information about manuscripts and printed music indexed in RISM (Repertoire International des Sources Musicales), a large, international project that records and describes musical sources, was for decades available solely through book publications, CD-ROMs, or subscription services. Recent initiatives to make the data available on a wider scale have resulted in, most significantly, a freely accessible online database and the availability of its data as open data and linked open data. Previously, the task of increasing the amount of data was primarily carried out by RISM national groups and the Zentralredaktion (Central Office). The current opportunities available by linking to other freely accessible databases and importing data from other resources open new perspectives and prospects. This paper describes the RISM data and their applications for digital libraries and digital musicological projects. We discuss the possibilities and challenges in making available a large and growing quantity of data and how the data have been utilized in external library and musicological projects. Interactive functions in the RISM OPAC are planned for the future, as is closer collaboration with the projects that use RISM data. Ultimately, RISM would like to arrange a “take and give” system in which the RISM data are used in external projects, enhanced by the project participants, and then delivered back to the RISM Zentralredaktion.