Digital musical libraries: the patterns of use of digital musical scores
Ella Kulik · Fontes artis musicae · 2010
The essay reports on the results of research into the patterns of use by potential users of digital musical scores as compared to print or physical musical scores. The research examines how additional factors such as profession, users' ages, etc., affect the preference of the examined group. Additionally the survey examines online digital music libraries and looked at the similarities and differences among them. Throughout the research, which was conducted in November 2008, a questionaire was distributed to librarians and people in different music related professions who frequent music libraries in order to examine the extent of use of this tool. According to the results of the research 86 percent of the respondents use digital scores at differing rates. The use of digital musical scores is characterized by a continuous rise, and the findings of the research grant a better understanding and insight into the differing needs of musicians; the target audience. Even today a population exists which has not been exposed enough to digital musical scores. For this reason the goal for the foreseeable future is to raise awareness of the hidden possibilities of this techology.