Spotlighting Academic Library Innovation: Baylor’s Black Gospel Music Preservation Project

Sponsored by SAGE Publishing

Recorded on 06/22/2022
Posted in The Authority File

Episode 262

Technology and librarianship go hand in hand. In fact, a strong relationship between an institution’s IT department and library can usher in innovative projects and patron-friendly solutions. At Baylor University, this interconnection allowed the library to bolster its digitization efforts, leading to new partnerships and opportunities. One such opportunity included the Black Gospel Music Preservation Project (BGMPP), which works to digitize—and therefore preserve—audio recordings of Black gospel music groups.

In this four-part series, three academic librarians join The Authority File to chat about innovations that help improve services, connect with the community, or put their library on the map. In this third episode, Darryl Stuhr, Director of Digitization and Digital Preservation Services at Baylor University, discusses the inception and development of Baylor’s Black Gospel Music Preservation Project. First, Darryl explains how an NPR Fresh Air interview, a generous donation, and the strong connection between Baylor’s libraries and IT helped get the project off the ground. He also digs into the library’s longstanding push toward digitization, and the recognition and archival opportunities that arose from BGMPP. Last, Martha Sedgwick, who heads up SAGE Publishing’s new division Technology from SAGE, chats about how SAGE’s Quartex platform and handwritten text recognition software—both developed by Adam Matthew—contribute to archival work.

About the guests:

Jamia Williams
Cohost and Co-creator
LibVoices

Lauren Puzier
User Experience Librarian
University at Albany

Darryl Stuhr
Director, Digitization and Digital Preservation Services
Baylor University

Martha Sedgwick
Vice President of Product Innovation
SAGE Publishing

Enjoy the conversation? Listen to the rest of the series:

Check out our previous series with SAGE Publishing:
– The Myth of the COVID-Transformed Workplace
– Preparing Diverse Students for Success in the Academic and Private Sectors
– Academic Librarianship in the Age of COVID
– A New Approach to Info Lit

Missed an episode? We’ve got you covered:

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates!

Check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!

Related Posts