If you’re of a certain age (ahem, baby boomers and forward) that song from Crosby, Stills, and Nash immediately starts playing in your music memory just after you read the title of this blog. One of my favorites, both the song and group.
We have introduced information about the Marrakesh Treaty as the conference was taking place and as it was being presented to countries in the world, including the United States. We anticipated its arrival with great pleasure, so blind and low vision patrons around the world would have access to braille music scores, braille literary books, and audio books.
So now, did you know we’re riding on the Marrakesh Express? The NLS Collection Development section along with Matthew Field, special assistant and foreign language librarian Kelsey Corlett-Rivera, have been leading NLS to the discussion table and recently invited the NLS Music Section to begin examining music scores and files and add them to the NLS Music collection. There is a new call number format specifying braille materials from another collection; it begins with BRT. Currently we are examining files from two sources and choosing ten titles a week to add to the collection. The current criteria for addition includes format (bar-over-bar preference), whether or not we already have a digital file in the NLS collection, and acquiring urtext (original) versions of scores already in the NLS music collection. We’re also looking to broaden our choral literature and twenty-first century popular music.
For blind and low vision patrons, I cannot emphasize how revolutionary this access is for their education and pleasure. In the ‘before’ times, there was a process called International Interlibrary Loan…and it worked. After a standard time span of three months, you would receive in the mail a hard copy braille music score you requested for a patron. Then, after sending it to the patron, you would wait, (usually a year so they had time to learn it) for its return. Then it would be mailed to the home library. This is better, to say the least; express delivery, you might say.
Now we are no longer Helplessly Hoping (learn this level 2 guitar version at DBM 02140) the score we requested arrives in time for our patron to learn that piece for their recital. You can also check out newly acquired Marrakesh titles such as When I Was Your Man from Bruno Mars at BRT 37051, Candle In The Wind from Sir Elton John at BRT 37049, Boy Named Sue at BRT 37017, and Lion King at BRT 37080.
Because we’re calling ALL ABOARD to our patrons to join us on the Marrakesh Express!
Please note that all materials listed above are also available to borrow by mail, not only through BARD. Please contact the Music Section to borrow talking books on digital cartridge or to borrow hard copies of braille music. Call us at 1-800-424-8567, or e-mail us at [email protected].