Mintel Archive now available ~ September 2018
The Mintel Archive of Recordings was donated to the Northwestern University Beinen School of Music Library in the fall of 2017; the collections of recordings have been accessioned into the University Library and are ready to be accessed there. At first, the Mintel Archive will be in the form of CDs available to be listened to on premises or checked out; later the recordings will be placed on line using the “Avalon” software. Access to on line files may be initially restricted to those associated with Northwestern University although the Internet files will eventually be made available to all interested members of the public.
Avalon
At the moment, the Northwestern Music Library has one collection of audio tapes on line for their users, the Robert Marcellus Master Class Audio Archives. The format used is called “Avalon.” Several other university libraries use this “Avalon” software to present audio files to library users, but this format may have some limitations for concert and broadcast recordings. There is a new version of Avalon that is now under development and it is hoped that the new capabilities will better accommodate the Mintel Archive.
Celebration
After the Archive has been released to the public and its availability announced, Northwestern University School of Music may host some kind of celebration to mark the event. People invited will be from the University and those performers featured in the Mintel Archive as well as other interested music lovers.