Re: [ARSCLIST] ARSC Awards -- Award criteria (was: Awards 2009 - Call for Nominations)

[Joel Bresler <joel.br@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I think it is very useful to consider websites
that have reached, as you say, the "1st edition" phase. Certainly a website
has to compare in quality and depth to other contenders. Since websites can
include copious audio samples and cover graphics, I believe that this should
be taken into account when comparing sites to print works. IMHO, a site that
includes sound samples is much more valuable to researchers and devotees
than a printed or online list, no matter how wonderful the list. 

I'll respond privately with some details about my own sites. 

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

Joel

Joel Bresler
250 E. Emerson Road
Lexington, MA 02420
United States

1-781-862-4104 (Telephone & FAX)
joel.br@xxxxxxxxxxx
IN CASE OF VERIZON EMAIL PROBLEMS, PLEASE USE MY BACK-UP EMAIL:
joelbresler-at-gmail.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Nelson-Strauss, Brenda
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 3:18 PM
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] ARSC Awards -- Award criteria (was: Awards 2009 -
Call for Nominations)

To answer Joel's questions, I believe the Awards Committee is open to
considering websites that are nominated for ARSC awards (the committee
doesn't have time to surf the web seeking out worthy websites- the author or
another individual needs to bring them to our attention via an official
nomination). 

There are, of course, several issues that make websites more difficult to
evaluate. First, according to our guidelines, we must be able to establish a
date of publication (we are currently considering materials published in
2008). Since most websites are updated frequently and evolve over time, we
haven't quite decided what might constitute an official date of publication.
In any case, we would at least need to be notified that the content is in
its final form. Second, the website would need to hold its own against
published items within the same category- i.e., there would have to be
sufficient content to make it a contender against published
histories/discographies.  

So far, no one has nominated a website for consideration, so the judges have
not yet put the issue to the test. As for Joel's websites, "Follow the
Drinking Gourd" does not seem to be finished. If "Sephardic Music" is in its
final form (or let's say "1st edition" phase), let us know and we can
circulate the link to the judges use it as a test case.

Brenda

Brenda Nelson-Strauss
Archives of African American Music and Culture
Indiana University
2805 E. 10th, Suite 180
Bloomington, IN 47408
812-855-7530
bnelsons@xxxxxxxxxxx
www.indiana.edu/~aaamc
www.blackgrooves.org

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