DRAM/Variations3: a music resource case study

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this article is to describe how two small non‐profit, primarily grant‐funded music projects are working to provide solutions for scholars and students in an environment dominated by for‐profit companies and aggressive rights regimes. Technology in some ways levels the playing field for organizations such as ours while at the same time forcing a more rapid pace of innovation because of heightened user expectations.

Design/methodology/approach

This article is a case study. It describes each of the authors' projects and how technology has aided their efforts in certain areas: organizationally: what technologies have aided us in terms of staffing and project organization; how technology has impacted the kinds of services and products we are able to provide; and how the overall environment of rapid innovation in music sometimes makes our work more difficult than in other areas of content creation.

Findings

The paper finds that overall the projects would not be possible without recent innovations. The authors are finding it challenging to meet the needs of the generative web, but are reacting as quickly as their projects allow.

Originality/value

This is the first joint case study published by the authors' organizations and, in the authors' literature review, they did not find any other study about music product utilization and innovation by non‐profits serving library populations.

Citation

Krueger, S. and Ponella, P. (2008), "DRAM/Variations3: a music resource case study", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 68-79. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830810857816