Music Retrospective Conversion at the University of California at Berkeley

Abstract

Music retrospective conversion is expensive, for a number of reasons. These include publishing peculiarities and the specific nature and needs of music scholarship, both of which impose social complexities in bibliographic control. The relative scarcity of music automated authority and bibliographic records likewise increases costs. Berkeley joined with a group of other music libraries to establish a coord~nated conversion plan based on national standards and the RLG music conspectus. Both in-house project staff and the services of an outside vendor have since been utilized to convert Berkeley's non-book materials. By assuming the major burden of music recon, the members of this consortium have created a database which will substantially reduce conversion costs in future projects.