Value of [my personal] Gramophone archive
Sun, Jan 16 2011, 8:52PM
I'm sure in common with many members, I have a collection of paper copies of Gramophone magazines going back some time, in my case to 1970 or so. I have been musing over disposing of these in the direction of the nearest paper recycling facility now that the excellent online archive is available. Of course, it is very sad that the pdf downloads are no longer availabe - this means that I am reliant on the hosting facility for the archive as well as all of the other links in the hyper wide inter web that connect me to it. If the search facility were less cumbersome and more reliable, if it were possible to cache issues, or a set of articles for an iPad or other "electronic paper" device (including a PDA or laptop) and if I were always in contact with the correct stream of electrons when I wanted to use the archive as a reference, I would gladly exchange all that paper I lovingy bought issue by issue for access to the information it transported.
The world is of course moving in that direction - the migration of business applications from the computer owned by the user to subcriptions to cloud services is the obvious parallel.
But is the saving of shelf space worth the trade? I invite discussion!
Sun, Jan 16 2011, 11:35PM
#2
RE: Value of [my personal] Gramophone archive
In the absence of pdf's we need something equivalent to Gramofile back but I don't think that's going to happen.
According to Martin Cullingford (Editor, Gramophone online) it might well:
"hopefully this year will see a reviews database of that nature return to this site"
From http://www.gramophone.co.uk/forum/general-discussion/the-gramophone-archive#comment-4985
Mon, Jan 17 2011, 9:37AM
#3
RE: Value of [my personal] Gramophone archive
Yes, shelf space is a big issue. My local library sold the bundled 1970's 80's issues of the Gramophone, and I bought them all. But they now rest in storage. If I want to search for a review, I use the archive database. But the Gramophone is not going to guarantee me that this database will always be there (or there for free). That's why I keep the paper versions in storage. Once in a while, I take a year out of the boxes, and just browse. That's something you can't do in the electronic version. Just flip the pages an discover forgotten issues.
Rolf
Mon, Jan 17 2011, 11:46AM
#4
RE: Value of [my personal] Gramophone archive
With some other journals to which I subscribe, pdf downloads are available, and that certaily gives me a sense of security. For others, a searchable CD (of pdfs) is available to purchase on a volume by volume basis. Again, this takes less space than the printed copies, is searchable and can be loaded onto a server for easy access. I am at the same time uncomfortable with the storage requirement and the guaranteed availability of an online archive.
And I also agree with the "browsability" of an online or electronic resource - there are advantages in a "pad" of whatever persusaion, but you can't keep your fingers in multiple pages and flip between them, or have several journals open at once side by side or read (safely) in the bath, or search for that cover image you remember.
Like you I appreciate the valuable resource the archive provides but it really is very maddening trying to find a review and when eventually you find it, it is full of mistakes now we have no access to pdf's. I haven't the time or inclination to notify Gramophone to correct the many mistakes I see. In the absence of pdf's we need something equivalent to Gramofile back but I don't think that's going to happen. If you have the space I recommend you retain the magazines.