2. Research Guides

Music Library Staff Guide: Public Domain Score Project

Copyright Research

  • In order to create space in our growing score collection, we are collecting information on which pieces are public domain so that we can transfer them to our digital catalog. This link summarizes the copyright laws so we can determine which pieces we can freely distribute. Basically, anything before 1929 is public domain and anything after 1928 is not public domain.
    • Example: Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No.1 is public domain in the US, since it was published in 1912.
    • In the US, while claims of copyright may be attached to new editions, and are valid for new materials added (such as prefaces, notes, etc.), a public domain work remains in the public domain, and the US Supreme Court has ruled that there must be a "modicum of creativity" in a work in order for there to be a copyright. Engravings themselves do not gain new copyright in the US as typographical works, so if only existing public domain content is included, an edition (with the new matter redacted) should be in the public domain in the United States (although a claim may be attached and no guarantee is made that any work in particular is in the public domain in the US).
  • We will be using this Google Sheet to keep track of scores we have researched.
  • First, copy and paste the last barcode number into the Alma search bar. Find the call number of the item so you can see where the last person left off.
  • Go to the scores with a cart and starting with the next call number, grab a section of scores to bring back to the desk.
  • Scan the barcode into column A and then begin researching the rest of the columns.
  • Start with the copyright date. This is usually found on the bottom of the first page of the score. There may be two copyright dates, the original and a renewal, so document both if you find two.
  • Copy the copyright statement, if there is one (e.g. Copyright for all countries, 1963, 2004).
  • The publication date will not always be there, but if it is, the score may say something like "Published in 2012 by Maslanka Press".
  • The publisher will often be on the cover page before the score. Common publishers are Kalmus, Boosey and Hawkes, and Schirmer, but there are many more.
  • The copyright holder may be different from the publisher! The score could read along the lines of "Copyright assigned, 1964, to Ione Press". The copyright holder could be a corporation or singular person, so read carefully. 
  • If you think you find something published before 1929 that is public domain, write "public domain" in the copyright status column. Staff will double check.
  • Notate the date you researched the score in the final column.
  • Ask staff if you have questions about anything! Copyright information can be tricky to find!

Digitization

Check the Score Scanned Status tab of the spreadsheet to see which scores need to be scanned.

Scan items using the public multifunction copier scanner to one of the circulating USB flash drives in the drawer to the left of the circulation workstation. 

  • To avoid unscanned portions of pages, always scan to 11" x 17".  You can always crop later.
  • Content should be scanned at 600 dpi or 600 dots per inch.
  • Scan in full color or Mono2 (black & white) as appropriate.
  • Don't bother to name the file at this point.  The scanner will name the file upon saving based on the date and time. 

Clean-up and save the file in Adobe Acrobat:

  • Use the Crop Tool (Tools>Advanced Editing>Crop Tool) to trim the pages to a uniform size
  • Rotate as appropriate using Shift+Ctrl+R
  • Use the Redaction Tool (Advanced>Redaction) to remove pencil markings and black edges
    • Set Redaction Properties (Advanced>Redaction>Redaction Properties) for a white "Redacted Area Fill Color"
    • Mark (Advanced>Redaction>Mark Redactions) appropriate areas for redaction/Erasing
    • Apply redactions (Advanced>Redaction>Apply Redactions)

Reduce file size, name the file as the call number and submit to Meagan for further processing.

  • To reduce the file size, and in doing so save the file, choose Reduce File Size (Document>Reduce File Size)
  • Devise a short file name to best identify the file contents
  • Email the finished file to Meagan. If the file is too large to attach, and you've already used "Reduce File Size" in Adobe, email Meagan to alert her that a file is ready for posting.  Include a description of the location of the file, whether on a USB drive or OneDrive.