Variations3: An Integrated Digital Library and Learning System
for the Music Community
IMLS National Leadership Grant Interim Performance Report
Award Number:
LG-05-05-0209-05
Institution Name:
Indiana University
Report Type:
Interim Performance Report
Period Covered by Report:
April 1, 2008 – September 30, 2008
Project Director:
Jon W. Dunn
Associate Director for Technology
Indiana University Digital Library Program
(812) 855-0953
jwd@indiana.edu
Variations3: An Integrated Digital Library and Learning System for the Music Community
Indiana University Digital Library Program
IMLS National Leadership Grant
Interim Performance Report for Period April 1, 2008 – September 30, 2008
1. Project Purpose
The purpose of the Variations3 project is to create a digital music library and learning system that
can be easily deployed at a wide range of college and university libraries with minimal technical
support and minimal cost to the institutions. By offering a complete environment in which
students and faculty can discover, listen to, view, annotate, and interact with music, this system
will integrate access to online recordings and scores into teaching, learning, and research
activities. The project builds on Indiana University’s successful history in digital music library
development (Variations2) and responds to the keen desire of music libraries large and small to
operate similar systems.
2. Project Activities
Activity 17 (May-July 2006)
Develop requirements for enhanced MARC import and import of data from other sources
for version 2
Work on improving batch loading records into Variations from MARC continued during this
reporting period. Analysis of a third iteration of an experiment to automatically identify Works
from MARC bibliographic and authority records completed in early 2008 led to the development
of specifications for a fourth iteration in summer 2008. The fourth iteration will expand beyond
work identification to include full mapping of data into Instantiation, Container, and Creator
records, and add more robust reporting functionality to the experiment output. The fourth
iteration is scheduled to run in the fourth quarter of 2008.
This work has been highly successful. We expect to release publicly our algorithm for metadata
mapping and work identification in late 2008. This algorithm will serve as the base for
FRBRization of the entire score and recording holdings of the IU Cook Music Library in a
recently-funded IMLS National Leadership Grant project entitled “Variations as a Testbed for the
FRBR Conceptual Model,” which begins in October 2008.
Activity 37 (February-June 2007)
Conduct design and implementation of version 2
A new minor release (5.0.5) of Variations was completed. In addition, two major development
efforts were undertaken: the design and implementation of a browser-based version of the audio
player (“Web UI”) and a new access management tool. The first of these was completed and is
being implemented at two test sites; the second is in testing phase.
Activity 38 (March-September 2007)
Develop specs for integration with additional subscription services for version 3
We are continuing our conversations with the Database of Recorded American Music (DRAM)
regarding authentication, so that we can add access to DRAM from the Variations tools.
Activity 39 (July-August 2007)
Conduct systems testing for version 2
The 5.0.5 release, the Web UI, and the Variations Access Manager have all undergone system
testing.
Activity 40 (July-August 2007)
Conduct usability testing for version 2
No formal testing has been done during this period. Instead, informal review by test sites has
provided feedback on new features.
Activity 42 (August-September 2007)
Obtain outside feedback on Variations2 data model
In July 2008, the Variations3 metadata team released a white paper entitled “Definition of a
FRBR-based Metadata Model for the Indiana University Variations3 Project, Phase 2: FRBR
Group 2 & 3 Entities and FRAD”
<http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/projects/variations3/docs/v3FRBRreportPhase2.pdf>. This white
paper builds on a previous white paper released in 2007 analyzing the appropriateness of the
FRBR model for Variations data, by considering the FRBR Group 2 and 3 entities and the FRAD
report. It concludes that FRBR and FRAD are sufficient to meet our project needs, and that the
FRAD model is potentially overly complex for us. We have received much informal feedback on
the decisions outlined in this and the first report, and one or both have been cited in several
places, including recent reports on Work records for music from the Music Library Association
and for moving images from the Online Audiovisual Catalogers association. Our work moving
the Variations metadata model to a fully FRBRized implementation, recently funded in a new
phase by IMLS, appears to already be having significant impact in the FRBR community.
Activity 44 (August-September 2007)
Test sites install version 2
Test sites continue to keep up with new releases as their calendars permit. The Web UI has been
installed for use by the University of Maryland. The Tri-Colleges consortium is also planning to
deploy the Web UI.
Activity 45 (September 2007)
Visit by test site staff to IU for training on version 2 and input on version 3 requirements
Test site personnel attended a June 2008 project advisory board meeting in Bloomington and an
additional meeting for test site participants only the following day, where they provided helpful
input on product requirements.
Activity 48 (October 2007-December 2007)
Solicit additional input from community re. sustainability plan
Development of a sustainability plan has been deferred to late fall 2008 / spring 2009, due to the
extension of the project through September 2009. However, we have been speaking informally
with members of the higher ed library and IT communities about various options for
sustainability and discussing pros and cons of various options including open source, consortial,
and hosted service models.
We are also working to develop a fully- or partially-hosted model for Variations, in which sites
would utilize a centrally located application and/or content server rather than install the
Variations server software locally on their campuses. We are working with Indiana University’s
legal counsel to develop a memorandum of agreement by which additional test sites could be
engaged to test this model.
Activity 49 (October 2007-January 2008)
Evaluate metadata features implemented in version 2; develop add'l input for version 3
requirements
Given new project priorities of moving Variations software tools to web-based platforms and
plans to move the Variations metadata model to a FRBR-based implementation, no new metadata
features will be added to version 3.
Activity 50 (October 2007-September 2008)
IU and test sites create metadata records
The following Variations3 metadata records were created at IU during this reporting period:
Month
Apr-08
May-08
Jun-08
Jul-08
Aug-08
Sep-08
TOTAL
Contributors
193
201
135
107
32
141
809
Works
144
147
153
151
27
95
717
Instantiations
859
839
618
538
96
425
3375
Containers
117
138
114
54
18
61
502
The following Variations3 metadata records were created at test sites during this reporting period:
Test Site
Ohio State
Maryland
Tri-Colleges
NEC
Contributors
0
0
8
4
Works
0
0
2
6
Instantiations
0
0
7
1
Containers
226
219
206
145
TOTAL
12
8
8
796
Activity 51 (October 2007-November 2007)
Complete high-level planning for version 3
Current planning activities are mainly directed at implementing playlists in the browser to extend
the capabilities of the Web UI.
Activity 52 (October 2007 – September 2008)
Support of test sites
Significant activities in support of test site usage are ongoing. No visits have been necessary in
the past six months—support has occurred via email and phone.
Activity 53 (October 2007 – September 2008)
Test sites load content into system, create metadata records, and provide access to users
All test sites are loading content into the system. All except Maryland are providing access to end
users, and Maryland shortly will follow suit. Full cataloging of loaded content has been minimal
(see activity 50, above), with most sites content simply to ingest the material and create container
records.
Activity 54 (December 2007 – January 2008)
Conduct requirements analysis for version 3
Requirements analysis is focusing on the Web UI playlist tool and access management.
Activity 55 (January 2008 – February 2008)
Develop final sustainability plan
Development of the sustainability plan has been deferred to fall 2008 / spring 2009, given the
extension of the project through September 2009.
Activity 56 (January 2008 – May 2008)
Visits by IU staff to test sites for observations of use
No visits were conducted during this six-month period.
Activity 57 (February 2008 – September 2008)
Continue to evaluate metadata features; conduct final evaluation of sustainability of
metadata model
Due to restrictions on available development time, we were not able to evaluate the effects of
cooperative cataloging or user-contributed metadata on the production rates for Variations
metadata records. Our work on moving to a FRBR-based model and on batch loading records
from MARC is highly promising, however. More analysis of long-term sustainability of workbased metadata models will be performed as part of our follow-on project recently funded by
IMLS to implement FRBR within Variations.
Activity 58 (October 2007 – September 2008)
Obtain consulting services
Consulting services may be retained to assist with development of cost models and a
sustainability plan.
Activity 59 (February 2008 – June 2008)
Conduct design and implementation of version 3
See activity 37, above.
Activity 60 (April 2008 – September 2008)
Disseminate project results via conference presentations and other means
The following conference papers and presentations were delivered during the reporting period:
Riley, Jenn. “Application of the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) to
Muisc.” Poster presentation at ISMIR 2008: 9th International Conference on Music
Information Retrieval, Philadelphia, PA, in September 2008. Poster image available online
from http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/~jenlrile/presentations/ismir2008/ismir2008poster.pdf;
handout available online from
http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/~jenlrile/presentations/ismir2008/handout.pdf. Also appeared as
a 6-page paper in the formal conference proceedings: ISMIR 2008: Proceedings of the 9th
International Conference on Music Information Retrieval, September 14-28, 2008, Drexel
University – Philadelphia, USA, edited by Juan Pablo Bello, Elaine Chew, and Douglas
Turnbull, 439-444. 2008. Paper available online from
http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/~jenlrile/presentations/ismir2008/riley.pdf.
Riley, Jenn. “Moving from a Locally-Developed Data Model to a Standard Conceptual Model.”
International Conference of the International Society for Knowledge Organization, Montreal,
Quebec, Canada, August 6, 2008. Presentation slides available online from
http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/~jenlrile/presentations/isko2008/isko2008.ppt. Also appeared as
a full paper in the formal conference proceedings: Culture and Identity in Knowledge
Organization: Proceedings of the 10th International ISKO Conference, 5-8 August 5-8,
Montréal, Canada, edited by Clément Arsenault and Joseph T. Tennis, 124-130. Advances in
Knowledge Organization 11. Würzburg: Ergon Verlag, 2008.
Ponella, Phil. “New Skills for Music Librarians and an update on the Variations Project.”
Presentation at the International Association of Music Libraries Archives and Documentation
Centers. Naples, Italy, July 2008.
In addition, a pre-conference seminar on implementing Variations has been proposed and
accepted for the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference in Orlando, October 27-31, 2008.
Activity 61 (March 2008 – September 2008)
Implement sustainability plan
Development of the sustainability plan has been deferred to fall 2008 / spring 2009, given the
extension of the project through September 2009.
Activity 62 (July 2008 – August 2008)
Conduct systems testing for version 3
See activity 39, above.
Activity 63 (July 2008 – August 2008)
Conduct usability testing for version 3
See activity 40, above.
Activity 64 (July 2008)
Visit by test site staff to IU for discussion of sustainability plan and final evaluation
Development of the sustainability plan has been deferred to fall 2008 / spring 2009, given the
extension of the project through September 2009.
Activity 65 (August 2008 – September 2008)
Develop final report
The final report will be completed in August-September 2009, given the extension of the project
through September 2009.
Activity 66 (August 2008 – September 2008)
Test sites install version 3
See activity 44, above.
In submitting this report, I certify that all of the information is true and correct to the best of my
knowledge.
Name and title of the person submitting the report and date of submission:
Jon W. Dunn
Associate Director for Technology, Digital Library Program
October 31, 2008