The Classical Music Guide Forums

Hi everyone. I recall some of of you here and hopefully the fine folk I remember will lend a helping hand to Tulane's Music library's post Katrina losses. The library was in the basement of all places, been there for decades, now its on the 4th!! floor. Lenny, the library's chief told me today they are having most of the books and scores in refurbishing in Texas, $11 million.
All thousands of cds, lost. They are starting from scratch, and I really didn't see many on the shelves , so I know the count is in the dozens.
during the next year or 2, whenever you have time (we're all short on that I know), take a look through your collection and see if you have some you've not played in 12 months, and most likely will not hear in the next 12 months (justifies going away) and throw them in a box, when you feel your collection is scanned, tape it up and send it to
HOWARD TILTON MUSIC LIBRARY
c/o Lenny Bertrand
7001 FRERET St
New Orleans
70118

I would hope when I get back with Lenny , late this summer, I hear of generous gifts. Thanks guys. Also , Karl if you would be kind to post this donation request over at GMG, as i know you'll galdly do. Any scores also.
Kindly
Paul
now in Baton Rouge.
Cheers

Hey, Paul! Thanks for the heads-up! I know I'll look around for what I can send and I'm sure others here will do the same. I just sent several shipments of books to the soldiers in Iraq.

For those who don't know, Paulb was a long time poster on the GMG who suffered personally through the hurricane to the point where posters were worried whether he was all right. (As a matter of fact, he lost a great deal if I remember correctly, but thankfully not in loved ones.) Godspeed on your own participation in the recovery, Paul.

Umm, not to detract from Paul's apparently sincere request with needless concerns, but I got to thinking that maybe this was a joke or prank.

So I contacted the email address given on the library collections' webpage requesting confirmation that they would in fact desire and welcome donations from the assembled ears. I'll advise as soon as I hear from them.

Corlyss, you could call the circulation desk # at 504-865-5689 or better is the ML # 504-865-5642, ask for Lenny. There were pre katrina #'s, guess are still active. Good to know that you will be helping out, a few others to follow would be even better. I have about 50+ that will be going, though most were under water/the notes are lost, but the cds play. I hope to make donation of all the Pettersson syms/will have to buy new though, and will be some time. Would love to do the same with all of Schnittke's works.
Karl hopefully you can post this request to assist Tulane ML to get back on its feet, over at "the other site" As you know I was sent into exile by the "authorities" the "inner clique", "the.." (did not have a curse word in mind), wanted to say intolerables, that is they don't like opinions that range too far from theirs. Even here in america free speech can be condemed if it does not allign with the party's beliefs.
I am now at Gramophone posting freely and openly, and so far the europeans(Gramophone UK) are showing themsleves gentelmen and scholars for allowing my rants(which I'll admit can describe my blogs more often than not ) to pass the sensorship.
So please Karl let those "others" know that its for Tulane's music students that they are donating to, and tell them to try to disassociate my image("arrrggg") in their mind from this project.
Even though Tulane is an expensive U. and should be funds for new cd purchases, even pre-katrina the budget for cds/scores was at the bottom of all Tulane's priorities. Now I'm sure its not even on the table at the moment.
Kindly
Paul

Thanks, Paul. My dear friend's son went to Tulane and my family is from Louisana.

Cool Corlyss,
Louisiana was pre-katrina, considered the forgotten state, well Mississippi may rank as another "oh gee I had forgot that Mississippi is a state" kinda thing. I mean how many folks from other parts of the US say 'wow, lets go to Louisiana/Missiissippi" Other than the 'french" quarter not much else to draw em in. Now there is even less to visit for, , unless you like experience of the sight of deplorable conditions.
Well guys here's your opportunity to do some real katrina donation offerings.
Cheers

I'll try to send some discs next week.

paulb wrote:Cool Corlyss,
Louisiana was pre-katrina, considered the forgotten state, well Mississippi may rank as another "oh gee I had forgot that Mississippi is a state" kinda thing. I mean how many folks from other parts of the US say 'wow, lets go to Louisiana/Missiissippi" Other than the 'french" quarter not much else to draw em in. Now there is even less to visit for, , unless you like experience of the sight of deplorable conditions.
Well guys here's your opportunity to do some real katrina donation offerings.
Cheers

That's an excellent idea, Paul. I have about 100 CDs in a to-sell or to-donate pile, as well as a selection of scores. I think I even have a box.

-- Alban

PS You might also post this request at rec.music.classical.recordings .

I definitely have 30 or 40 CD's that can be mailed.
Peter

Its so cheery to see the offers of donations here and hopefully the "other site' will follow in your generosity.
When i made mention of the donation idea to Lenny on Friday, his face lit up with hopes that things will get better for his music library. Lenny was recently named director of the ML, last summer in fact, and had great plans for the Ml, which Katrina devastated.
Generous contributions from you guys may be the beginning of the long road to recovery for the ML's catalogue of cds.
Thanks guys for the contributions.
You can also send Lenny an email to see how else you may help out/what specifically he needs. I believe its on the Tulane web, music library link.
Cheers

I promised the assembled ears that I would post the Library's response to my email. Here it is from Andy Corrigan

Corlyss: Thanks for checking on this. I have some concerns about having discarded CDs arriving individually from lots of sources. We're operating with fewer staff post Katrina and each donation has to be processed and cataloged. We've already begun replacing music recordings with help from financial gifts and these are being purchased with accompanying cataloging, which has been a big help. Many of your members' donations could wind up being duplicates or outside our curriculum focus.

However, we lost all of our classical recordings so perhaps we could coordinate this somehow. I'm going to forward your message to Leonard Bertrand in our Music | Media library and ask him to contact you to explore this further.

Andy

Andy Corrigan
Associate Dean for Collections
Howard-Tilton Memorial Library
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA 70118

504-865-5679 (voice)
504-865-6773 (fax)

I have a small number (4 titles) packed and ready to go, when someone can confirm to whom/where these are to be sent.

I'll post any subsequent correspondence with the library. I had forgotten the issue of the cataloging data that often comes with new acquisitions so the library staff doesn't have to do it. The donations might not warrant the expense in man-power to catalog them. But I'm just speculating.

Corlyss_D wrote:I'll post any subsequent correspondence with the library. I had forgotten the issue of the cataloging data that often comes with new acquisitions so the library staff doesn't have to do it. The donations might not warrant the expense in man-power to catalog them. But I'm just speculating.

Best to hold off posting for now, then, I guess?

Mark Antony Owen wrote:

Corlyss_D wrote:I'll post any subsequent correspondence with the library. I had forgotten the issue of the cataloging data that often comes with new acquisitions so the library staff doesn't have to do it. The donations might not warrant the expense in man-power to catalog them. But I'm just speculating.

Best to hold off posting for now, then, I guess?

I'm sure 4 won't bust their payroll, but folks contemplating boxes of cds might wait until I can report further. I'm going to wait.

Wow, I just got back from being out of town and was surprised to see this thread!

I think many of the members of the forum were aware of the disaster of the Tulane Music Library as I had commented on it previously, but it is great to see the idea about donations being suggested.

Paul, do you go to Tulane too? I'm glad you have been in touch with Lenny. He's a great guy.

I've been in contact with Paul's Lenny at the library. We're going to talk about this proposal by phone shortly, so stand by for further information.

Thank you very much, Corlyss.

karlhenning wrote:Thank you very much, Corlyss.

My pleasure, Karl. We all want to help, but help is what is needed, not necessarily what we want to do.

Folks, please see my announcement at the top of the forum.

How ludicrous, really. Do people here honestly think Tulane's music library wants to be saddled with everyone's cast-off CD's, - that students will find any more value in listening to the classical dreck in your excrement-pile than you have?

Just send a check if you want to help. Simple as that.

Gregory Kleyn wrote:How ludicrous, really. Do people here honestly think Tulane's music library wants to be saddled with everyone's cast-off CD's, - that students will find any more value in listening to the classical dreck in your excrement-pile than you have?

Just send a check if you want to help. Simple as that.

This is utter nonsense. The original request from Paul Best was for CD donations, not a check. And you have absolutely no idea what's in any of our cull piles. I am, for instance, culling the Quartetto Italiano's late Beethoven because I don't like the Quartetto Italiano's late Beethoven. I am culling Trevor Pinnock's Brandenburgs because I have 3-4 other performances I like better. I am culling a superb 2-CD set of Peter Hurford's Bach because I also have his complete 17-CD Bach set. And I am also culling some duplicates acquired by mistake. There's nothing in my excrement-pile because I don't buy excrement. And what's more, I don't buy it from you.

So Corlyss, has there been any further communication from Lenny B?

Alban Berg wrote:

Gregory Kleyn wrote:How ludicrous, really. Do people here honestly think Tulane's music library wants to be saddled with everyone's cast-off CD's, - that students will find any more value in listening to the classical dreck in your excrement-pile than you have?

Just send a check if you want to help. Simple as that.

This is utter nonsense. The original request from Paul Best was for CD donations, not a check. And you have absolutely no idea what's in any of our cull piles. I am, for instance, culling the Quartetto Italiano's late Beethoven because I don't like the Quartetto Italiano's late Beethoven. I am culling Trevor Pinnock's Brandenburgs because I have 3-4 other performances I like better. I am culling a superb 2-CD set of Peter Hurford's Bach because I also have his complete 17-CD Bach set. And I am also culling some duplicates acquired by mistake. There's nothing in my excrement-pile because I don't buy excrement. And what's more, I don't buy it from you.

So Corlyss, has there been any further communication from Lenny B?

I've emailed him twice since in the last week. No response.

Well, well, I might just have to go over there next time I'm on campus and talk to him.

ch1525 wrote:Well, well, I might just have to go over there next time I'm on campus and talk to him.

If that would help, hows about you and Paul forming a CMG delegation to jack him up?

Alban Berg wrote:

Gregory Kleyn wrote:How ludicrous, really. Do people here honestly think Tulane's music library wants to be saddled with everyone's cast-off CD's, - that students will find any more value in listening to the classical dreck in your excrement-pile than you have?

Just send a check if you want to help. Simple as that.

This is utter nonsense. The original request from Paul Best was for CD donations, not a check. And you have absolutely no idea what's in any of our cull piles. I am, for instance, culling the Quartetto Italiano's late Beethoven because I don't like the Quartetto Italiano's late Beethoven. I am culling Trevor Pinnock's Brandenburgs because I have 3-4 other performances I like better. I am culling a superb 2-CD set of Peter Hurford's Bach because I also have his complete 17-CD Bach set. And I am also culling some duplicates acquired by mistake. There's nothing in my excrement-pile because I don't buy excrement. And what's more, I don't buy it from you.

So Corlyss, has there been any further communication from Lenny B?

Not utter nonsense, - but simply a judgement that needs to be qualified somewhat in consideration of your no doubt uncharacteristically gold-plated "pile" (though you don't say what the other 90 or so items you'll be benefacting to Tulane might be). What percentage exactly of "benchmark" recordings (of the kind a University music library starting from scratch will want to acquire) do you think the CMG rabble will be sending forth? Given Lenny's lack of response to Corlyss' inquiries I suspect he has his own concerns, and thus considerably less enthusiasm for the project than Paul B.

Paul's suggestion would be wonderful for a public library or community center (why not send everything to the New Orleans PL, whose need is probably great?), - but an academic institution will want to be much more deliberate and discriminating in accumulating a collection than the acceptance of miscellaneous and motley public donations will allow.

Again, - send money if you care.

Gregory Kleyn wrote:

Alban Berg wrote:

Gregory Kleyn wrote:How ludicrous, really. Do people here honestly think Tulane's music library wants to be saddled with everyone's cast-off CD's, - that students will find any more value in listening to the classical dreck in your excrement-pile than you have?

Just send a check if you want to help. Simple as that.

This is utter nonsense. The original request from Paul Best was for CD donations, not a check. And you have absolutely no idea what's in any of our cull piles. I am, for instance, culling the Quartetto Italiano's late Beethoven because I don't like the Quartetto Italiano's late Beethoven. I am culling Trevor Pinnock's Brandenburgs because I have 3-4 other performances I like better. I am culling a superb 2-CD set of Peter Hurford's Bach because I also have his complete 17-CD Bach set. And I am also culling some duplicates acquired by mistake. There's nothing in my excrement-pile because I don't buy excrement. And what's more, I don't buy it from you.

So Corlyss, has there been any further communication from Lenny B?

Not utter nonsense, - but simply a judgement that needs to be qualified somewhat in consideration of your no doubt uncharacteristically gold-plated "pile" (though you don't say what the other 90 or so items you'll be benefacting to Tulane might be). What percentage exactly of "benchmark" recordings (of the kind a University music library starting from scratch will want to acquire) do you think the CMG rabble will be sending forth? Given Lenny's lack of response to Corlyss' inquiries I suspect he has his own concerns, and thus considerably less enthusiasm for the project than Paul B.

Paul's suggestion would be wonderful for a public library or community center (why not send everything to the New Orleans PL, whose need is probably great?), - but an academic institution will want to be much more deliberate and discriminating in accumulating a collection than the acceptance of miscellaneous and motley public donations will allow.

Again, - send money if you care.

Already did that last year right after the hurricane. But a non-tax contribution is equally deductible, and costs me nothing out of pocket other than the shipping. However, since you (and for all I know) Lenny B. have already determined (sight-unseen) the value and contents of all our "piles," chances are this well-intentioned charitable enterprise is going exactly nowhere, and this motley member of the CMG rabble will have to look elsewhere to house the classical dreck in his excrement-pile.

Your idea of contacting the NOPL, however, is actually a good one.
--------------

PS for anyone interested: the NOPL does not wish to receive book or CD donations directly, but asks donors to send their unwanted materials to the following charity for resale, the proceeds to benefit the library:

http://www.betterworldbooks.com/program ... dNOPL.aspx

Probably Lenny would be sending most of CMG's CD contributions to that same charity.

Save him the bother.