Why Not MARC?

Abstract

Traditional library cataloging records in the United States, based on AACR2R cataloging rules and MARC standards, constitute a solid foundation for many of the descriptive metadata elements needed for searching and retrieving works of music. However, there are significant weaknesses associated with these records and the online environment in which they live as users seek access to digitized representations of music. While music metadata in the library catalog records offer less than a perfect solution, they can and should have an important role in the total solution. Variations2, the Indiana University Digital Music Library, builds on the advantages of AACR2R and MARC and offers a domainspecific data model and search environment that address many of the identified problems.