MLA in Memphis, Tennessee Lisa Rae Philpott the University of Western Ontario, [email protected]
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Western University Scholarship@Western Western Libraries Publications Western Libraries 2-2006 MLA in Memphis, Tennessee Lisa Rae Philpott The University of Western Ontario, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/wlpub Part of the Archival Science Commons Citation of this paper: Philpott, Lisa Rae, "MLA in Memphis, Tennessee" (2006). Western Libraries Publications. 72. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/wlpub/72 MLA in Memphis, Tennessee The Peabody Hotel February 22-25, 2006 By Lisa Rae Philpott Music Library, University of Western Ontario This year’s MLA Continuing Education rooting for its homegrown talent, Three-6 Workshop, Digitizing Music, was sponsored Mafia, nominated (and winners) in the Best by the Education Committee, and was a pre- Song category for “It’s Hard Out Here for a conference offering. I was fortunate to be Pimp” in the film, Hustle & Flow. Ford, a placed on the waiting list, and was pleased Northerner, described Memphis as a well kept that a larger venue was found, thus permitting secret and urged attendees to visit the me to attend this session. museums and take-in live performances on Beale Street. Her recommendations? MLA’s opening reception is the traditional “Experience music. Eat BBQ. See the beginning of the conference proper. Following Mississippi River.” on the heels of the New Members roundtable and reception, this reception provides the American Libraries’ reporter Gordon opportunity to meet- and-greet other MLA’ers Flagg was welcomed. Annie Thompson and visit with our many wonderful vendors. (Conference Manager) welcomed new exhibitors, and thanked the sponsors for their The seventy-fifth Annual Conference was underwriting of coffee breaks. Anna Neal opened by MLA President (and UWO SLIS (Program Chair) offered updates to the grad) Bonna Boettcher (Cornell U). Local program. Allie Goudie (Chair, Development library dignitaries Judith A. Dresscher Committee) described how valuable MLA (Director Of Libraries, Memphis Public was to her during her thirty-year career in Library) and Dr. Sylverna Ford (Dean of isolated Western Illinois, and encouraged Libraries, University of Memphis) welcomed members to donate to the Association: by us warmly, and spoke about their institutions. choosing to forego just one cup of Starbucks Drescher regaled us with describing how her weekly, one could easily afford to give staff “hangs around Beale Street” hoping to annually to the cause. And, the Merry persuade local musicians to record their music Auctioneers offered a rendition of the and donate their music, papers, programs, “Marketing Blues,” sung to the tune of notes, napkins (with snippets of tunes, etc.) to “Heartbreak Hotel,” accompanied by Rick the MPL. She also encouraged attendees to McRae, trombone. listen to the MPL’s radio station WYPL FM 89.3 from 8 pm to midnight and from 4 am to Plenary I. MLA’ers: Past, Present and Into 8 am to sample their programming of soul, Our Future Jane Penner, UVA Sun Studios, sixties, seventies, and current pop music. She mentioned Memphis would be 11 The MLA Archives reside at the through 800 titles of Chicago sheet music. A University of Maryland, College Park, and study of this collection eventually became include significant oral history accounts, due approved as her thesis project. to the efforts of Carol June Bradley. Marjorie Hassan has spent two years reformatting the She married Mort during WWII; they archive onto gold CDs. Conference attendees settled on the East coast. At that point, the were invited to experience the Archives’ MLA Newsletter was a mimeographed interactive computer program at the MLA quarterly. Dena wrote the editor, Richard Hill, table; the web site is under construction. The offering an article about Chicago music panel members were then introduced. publications. Mort had occasion to visit DC on business, and met with Hill. Later, Dena learned that Hill had borrowed her thesis via Dena Epstein is an MLA pioneer, and a inter-library loan, and that eight instalments of pioneer in the field of American music her thesis had appeared in Notes - without publishing. She is the author of Sinful Tunes anyone telling her! Dena eventually met with and Spirituals: Black Folk Music to the Civil Hill in New York City regarding the War (1977); Music Publishing in Chicago publication in book-form of the appendix to Before 1871 : Firm of Root & Cady (1969), her thesis, but that never happened. and the recipient of two NEH grants. Her library career at the University of Chicago With two children, no library would hire spanned 22 years; she has served on the MLA Epstein, as she was deemed “not reliable.” Board, and was its President, 1977-79. In But she was able to make weekend trips to the 1986 she was awarded the MLA Citation for New York Public Library, where she furthered Distinguished Service; in 1996 her husband her research. She became interested in slave Mort established the Dena Epstein Award for songs of the US, culminating in her 1977 Archival and Library Research in American publication, Sinful Tunes and Spirituals. Music as an anniversary gift. The Society for During her sixteen years spent outside of American Music bestowed its Lifetime librarianship, she served MLA. She stopped in Achievement Award in 2005. to visit at the U of Chicago in 1964, and was offered a part-time job! Her entire thesis was Epstein joined MLA in 1931 – three years republished in Detroit Studies in Music before AMS was founded! There was no TV, Bibliography, with the support of Bruno Nettl. no computers, and not many music librarians. In 1937 she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Joseph Boonin has been a member of from the U of Chicago. There were no jobs, so MLA for over fifty years. His careers have she was advised to go library school at the U included music publishing (Jerona Music and of Illinois. However, Illinois told her that Joseph Boonin Music) and distribution; he because she had a music degree, she was retired from the NYPL in April 2003. He ineligible! Setting the record straight, she studied librarianship at Drexel, has served on replied she had an arts degree, and she was the MLA Board and has liaised with the accepted on condition that she must accept the Music Publishers Association. best job they could find for her. While studying for her Masters degree, she catalogued half-time, working her way 12 Boonin declared that “the profession sucked me in!” In 1954 he had no idea what to Michael Duffy is a recent graduate of do with his life. He was always in love with Northern Illinois (2002), belonging to the music. One day he stumbled over the current Mid-West Chapter. He contributed a poster periodicals, and discovered Notes, and session at the Vancouver Conference (2005). decided it was “way cool!” He read all of 1954, and back through 1943! He decided “I Duffy has been involved with music since gotta have this!” One could subscribe to the grade seven. Playing trumpet, he involved issues for a mere four or five dollars and it himself in every available musical cost an additional dollar to join the opportunity, from music camps to study of Association. “What the heck, they could music at the university level. At Western probably use the other dollar.” He received Michigan University he spent lots of time in notice of the 1959 Cleveland meeting – two the library, looking at microfilm dissertations. weeks after it happened! In terms of his own study of Bach’s chorale Alle Menschen, in retrospect, had he only Eventually he met fellow MLA’ers at asked for help, he could have saved hours of ALA in Washington. He was treated as a research time! In 1999, Duffy called Don colleague from the start, and said “There are Roberts, which, unbeknownst to him, was an only two kinds of music librarians, No. 1 are interview! He became enrolled in a dual the ones you know; No. 2, the ones you don’t masters degree, and knew that he had found know. You need to increase the No. 1’s.” his calling. An evenings/weekends supervisor at Northwestern, Duffy is now employed at Northern Illinois. He finds his job challenging Amanda Maple is a mid-career music and rewarding, and is completely engaged. He librarian. She has co-authored the Guide to is a “complete librarian” and is responsible for Writing Collection Development Policies for reference and cataloguing. Music, and has served as an assistant editor to Notes. She is also a harpsichordist. How did technology developments impact your job? Maple described herself as an enthusiastic music librarian. She entered the profession Epstein: “Technology had not been born!” through the back door, as a paraprofessional The University of Chicago had a computer, supplementing her income. Working for but there was no music on it. NYPL’s Suki Sommer, Amanda discovered the joy of colleagues, expanded her love of music and music publishing. Boonin: Red book. Green book. Manual technology, with his entree to NYPL, whose typewriters. 3 by 5-inch cards. We weren’t vendor had gone belly-up. He found himself plugged in anywhere! The cataloguer for playing catch-up over a ten-year career. With Hebraic and Slavic languages had four a collection of LPs “rotting on the shelves,” typewriters, and on the Hebraic one, the he needed to develop a comprehensive carriage-return was on the other side circulating CD collection – and train the (described as a way to “mess with your mind” LOL’s (little old ladies, although actually they after a long week!). Joe was late to can be of either gender) who tried to play CDs 13 on a turntable! “Remember Schwann? This years in business.