On 10/26/2011 3:58 AM, Johannes Gebauer wrote: > Has anyone used the online solution at > > http://www.musiclibrarian.net/ > > I have just tried their demo account, and it really seems a good way to > do this. The owner will set up an account for me, and I'll try it with > real data. And it is free, too. >
I haven't used it, so I can't say whether it's a good thing or not, but I'm always leery of a system which relies on on-line storage of important data. Questions about such systems which arise in my mind are: 1) what will you do if the site goes out of business and all your library data is on their servers? 2) what will you do if you have no internet service for whatever reason? 3) what will they do with your data? (e.g. will their records become evidence in some potential court case regarding non-payment of performance royalties or some such thing) 4) Why are they letting some organizations use it for free? To quote from their web-page "Would you like to use MusicLibrarian for free? We need groups with their own sheet-music libraries to help with further development of the system. Contact the webmaster for more details." That sounds like either everybody's using it free right now so they can build up a huge database of pieces that will make data entry easier for future groups, or it's a "first hit's free" sort of come-on and then they'll start charging for the service, after you've already invested a lot of time entering your entire library into their system. I think a better system, if you want more general access to your library database would be to use something like FileMaker to create and edit the data and then create a searchable PDF from it and store that PDF file on line at a private web-site so that your group's members can access it if they wish but it remains out of the public view and out the control of some outside group of people which might vanish at some point leaving you high and dry without access to your data. Just some other thoughts for you to consider before making the big investment in time and energy to create your database. -- David H. Bailey [email protected] _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
