Prototype Interactive
Library Catalogue

An instructive example using an interactive table

  1. The entries contained in the table below are a small sample from my own library.
  2. Data can be transcribed and maintained by Librarian in a Word table or any spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.) and exported to a CSV data file.
  3. The data file can be uploaded by Webmaster to TablePress (a Word Press plugin).
  4. The new version of the table is instantly displayed on the HSRP > Library webpage!
  5. Time to complete tasks 3+4 is <5 minutes.
  6. Cost, nil!
  7. The resulting online table will be “responsive” which is to say it adapts to small screens, e.g. on your tablet or telefonino.
  8. A database system as such would be overkill for our purposes, given the small data file size and its lack of complexity.
  9. I strongly advise against developing and maintaining a catalogue of scores using a library system, least of all one as arcane as Librarika. Nobody wants the trouble of feeding and watering such a system. It is inappropriate to the scope of our dataset and the needs of our audience.
  10. Amongst the advantages of the approach I illustrate below is separation of the tasks of (1) assembling and managing the data, and (2) making it visible to our members online in something as intuitive to use as a moderately intelligent interactive table. The latter task (2) really is trivial; the former (1) is demanding and time-consuming, but it is here that HSRP should put its time and effort.
  11. Transcribing our current library data into a familiar spreadsheet, rigorously formatting its content against a set of well-formulated standards, is a tedious business, to be sure, but it only needs doing once! Thereafter, incorporating new items would simply involve the Librarian entering them into the spreadsheet and forwarding a copy to the Webmaster. This is well within the abilities of present and future HSRP members.

I invite you to play with the following prototype!

  1. Start by filtering out a few columns you might not want to see by clicking on the Column Visibility button
  2. Try clicking off some of the data fields, e.g. Place, Series Editor, Contributor; then click somewhere on the table itself
  3. Try clicking on one of the output buttons: e.g. Excel
  4. Try Sorting on a column by clicking its title, e.g. Composer
  5. Try a Search on any term, e.g. Flowers. Yes, someone really did compose a collection of 25 musical pieces descriptive of angiosperm species, L’Amarante, La Tulipe, La Jacinte, La Violette, etc.!
  6. Try Searching items for SAT recorders
  7. Try Searching with H4 to locate works in 4 parts by composers whose family names commence with H
  8. You deserve a pastis, after that workout!
ComposerTitleMediaOriginal DatePublication DatePublisherPlaceArchiveInstrumentationNotesEditorSeries EditorContributor
Baines, Francis AthelstanQuartet for RecordersPalisander1960SchottLondonB6AATT
Playford, JohnDances from Playford University of Georgia Musicum Collegium Recorder Ensemble.16511949SchottLondonP3Meech, Michael
VariousDeutsche Meister des Barocks [German Masters of the Baroque Era]17–18th century1955SchottMainzH3 H4Hillemann, Willi
Giovane da Nola, Joan Domenico delFive Carnival Songs of the Sixteenth CenturyOpia15411956Associated Music PublishersNew YorkV3SSA SST SAA SATThese are canzoni villanesche (Neapolitan love songs) rather than (Florentine) canti carnascialeschi (Forentine carnival songs)Davenport, LaNue
Fricker, Peter RacineSuite for Three Recorders
Bernard Tola
1956Schott, for Society of Recorder PlayersLondonF3AAT
Hindemith, PaulTrio for Recorders From the Plöner Musiktag. Edition for recorders in C and FHidehiro Nakamura19321952SchottLondonH3SATBergmann, Walter
TraditionalYugoslav Folkdances for Recorder Trio1956SchottLondonA3Allen, W. Stannard (Wiliam Stannard)
Monteverdi, ClaudioAngelus ad pastores ait. Christmas Motet for Three Voiceshere15821936SchottLondonM3Fellerer, K. Gustav (Karl Gustav)
Smith, Roy HeatonSerenade Op. 35 for Recorder TrioAndré Le Gall1955SchottLondonS3SAT
Meech, MichaelTwo Pieces1949SchottM4SSTT
VariousSuite of Five Pieces from The Compleat Flute Master17001948Schott, for Society of Recorder PlayersLondonD2Dolmetsch, Carl Frederick; Hunt, Edgar Hubert
Holborne, AntonyTwo fantasias for three recorders from The Cittharn SchooleFlautadors15971948SchottLondonH3Dart, Robert Thurston
Staeps, Hans UlrichReihe kleiner Duette für zwei Altoblockflöten [A series of short duets for two alto recorders]André Le Gall1950SchottLondonS2AA
VariousSchool Flute Tunes1940Allan & Co.MelbourneA4AAT ATT AATB AATT Hall, Anthony
Telemann, Georg PhilippDrei Sonaten für Drei Altblockflöten [Three sonatas for three alto recorders]Le Phénix'1738–17421988AmadeusWinterthurT3AAAMichel, Winfried; Paüler, Berhard
Quantz, Johann JoachimSechs Duette für Zwei Altblockflöten [Six duets for two alto recorders]. Vol. 1Kan Saito17591982AmadeusWinterthurQ2AAPaüler, Berhard
Quantz, Johann JoachimSechs Duette für Zwei Altblockflöten [Six duets for two alto recorders]. Vol. 2Kan Saito17591982AmadeusWinterthurQ2AAPaüler, Berhard
Delavigne, PhilibertLes Fleurs [The Flowers]. Pièces pour les Musettes ou Vielles, avec accompagnement de Viol ou de Flûte op. 4Le Berger Fortune18th century1976AmadeusWinterthurD2AA ATKolneder, Walter
Delavigne, PhilibertLes Fleurs [The Flowers]. Pièces pour les Musettes ou Vielles, avec accompagnement de Viol ou de Flûte op. 4Le Berger Fortune18th century1976AmadeusWinterthurD2AA ATKolneder, Walter
ComposerTitleMediaOriginal DatePublication DatePublisherPlaceArchiveInstrumentationNotesEditorSeries EditorContributor

Tools I used (all free- or donation-ware)

  • CSVEdit, to create the data upload file. Excel, Google Sheets, your favourite word processor or even Notepad would do just as well!
  • Wikipedia, to check composer & editor details, etc.
  • WordPress, the open-source content management system used on the server that hosts my website & the HSRP site
  • TablePress (a WordPress plugin), to upload the data file to the HSRP website & configure the online table’s layout, appearance & behaviour.
  • TablePress Extensions: Responsive Tables, DataTableButtons, DataTables FixedHeader.
  • Google Chrome (internet browser).

Nicholas S. Lander
28 May 2022