I thought i'd copy the snipets of an interesting email discussion between Gini, Myself & Lois relating to how we might display real world objects in the performing rights online library (all text has been heavily edited, so Gini/Lois do let me know if you don't like how I've chopped it!!!).
...lois>Most people have the same problem I do which is: how does the site link to the actual collection? How does the site relate to the real collection/place we are in? In general we need to find a way to integrate the virtual and the real and link what you can do, see or review under the same heading of LIBRARY.
...tomski>As I see it, we are not following Library, Museum Document Association or Dublin Core (www.dublincore.org,www.mda.org.uk) recommendations for archiving and collections management(though we could have done), I think that in creating this site based around performance we are trying stretch rigid notions of an archive as being a static list of objects (which is where some librarians/academics/techies will want to push this kind of thing), to an archive thats embodied in human interaction, displayed & recorded on the site and through performance...
...Gini> it seems to me that the issue here is about real and unreal and
local and global, which we are addressing through the development of this
tool. I think that we should incorporate the 'real' catalogue/archive as
part of the overall site, not as a category all of its own. So I think we
should catalogue/archive it as images, text etc etc, discussion. We could
perhaps add a line/link outlining which material is available in the Library
based at QMUL, and which material is available at other locations with a
link to the map perhaps?? Otherwise, we seem to be trying to do 2 things at once, make a collaborative online tool and attach a real live archive to it. To my mind the best way to make that work is to synergise the 2 elements. I think this avoids privileging things which exist in certain places.
If i can work out where/how to put something in the library....
If you have difficulties please let me know, or even better, add to the technical help area so as to help others.... thanks:)
Techie stuff aside... I be really interested to hear more about PONTOS DE CULTURA/POINTS OF CULTURE.
sounds as exciting as it is difficult. I think we should look at the experiments being set up by the Brazilian Ministry of Culture under Gilberto Gil. He has set up a scheme called PONTOS DE CULTURA/POINTS OF CULTURE which has been created to preserve the immaterial as well as the material aspects of Brazilian Culture. It enables small-scale and often non-professional artists and organisations to have access to each other [and for others to have access to them] via digital media. It is a genuine web rather than a library but is dealing with many of the issues Lois and Tomski discuss. I shall post something about the programme in English. If i can work out where/how to put something in the library....