Meeting minutes- January 18th, 2011
12:00 – 1:30 pm
Present: Jason Camlot, Darren Wershler, Annie Murray, Jared Wiercinski , Matt Tremblay and Deanna Fong
Agenda:
-Deanna: Role as Research Assistant
-Jared: Introduction to Soundcloud
-Mathieu: Progress on website, data entry
-Jason and Darren: Annotation for SGW Reading Series
-Annie: Audio survey
Deanna: Role as Research Assistant
1) Point person for organizing meetings, taking notes and general coordination
2) Will begin researching available scholarship on the poetry reading series as an organizing principle, create an annotated bibliography and give a presentation to the group on her findings
3) Will add, organize and manage content for the following ongoing reading series:
- Synapse,
- Writers read,
- Pilot reading series
Deanna will conduct a survey of what material is already available from these readings, in what format, and whether or not waivers have been obtained for these materials
Spokenweb will provide a digital flash recorder for the making of future recordings
For already existing video recordings, we can strip the sound out of the file—at this point, we will limit the material on the site to sound recordings only
The feasibility of recording straight to Soundcloud may be tested at one of the readings
Jared: Intro to Soundcloud
Soundcloud will be used to host audio files, and Spokenweb will embed the code on the WordPress site
After today, all files will be uploaded to soundcloud
Timed commenting will be used to organize content, i.e. headings for readings and introductions, based on Celyn’s document
Make a wish list of what can go into this API, for example, automating timed comments
Jared and Matt will research existing Soundcloud apps that may pertain to Spokenweb project
Fix bug re: not displaying comments if the track is private- contact Soundcloud
Matt: Data Entry
Manual data entry required
Deanna and Celyn divide data entry work- blog post about how the data entry goes, design of website (positioning of audio file, etc.)
Jared will embed Soundcloud code once all files are uploaded
Layout on Site
What should be the position of the audio file in relation to metadata? Should we have an audio file scrolls along with reading? Or a series of tabs?
- Mathieu will put the audio at the top of the page for now, andwill experiment with both scrolling and tabs (audio transcript, metadata)
Think about the capabilities of WordPress software to present material in a different way: For example, a randomizer, recording of the week or playlist
Continue to add archives (Seamus Heaney Digital archive)
Darren and Jason: Three types of annotation to accompany SGW Reading Series:
1) textual analysis performed on audio
2) meta-layer: tools for creating literary maps, soundannotation, what the implications of this kind of work are. Darren will send a link to Alan Liu’s model for reference
3) pedagogical uses of this kind of project
Jason will write an article about context and Canadian literature, engaging with the material, textual analysis
- This summer, leading grad course in which students will use with the materials in this collection and engage with these kinds of questions
Annie: Audio Survey
Most important question: What would we want to know? What would we do with the information? (publication, feasibility in working with our site)
1) Fact-finding
2) Finding partners for a multi-institutional collaboration
Jason will find out if we need to get ethics clearance.
Questions to ask:
- Do you have stuff? What stuff? Where?
- Estimate of hours of recording
- Provide names of poets
- Any contextual information they might have—pretty much as much as they are willing to provide
How do we phrase what we’re looking for?
- Any non-commercial literary recordings
- Timeframe- from any period
- Canadian institutions, but no limit on poet provenance
- Events? Series? Whole fonds? Poet fonds?
- Format- analog and digital- ask if they still hold the originals, if digitized
Introduce ourselves and the project- Annie will write up a draft. Say that we are working on a web-based interface.
Incentives for participation:
- Make tools available to the libraries
- Looking for prospective partners for future grants (limited)
- Provide a tabulation of the results
- Give temporary access to see what we are doing (guest account)
- Disclaimers: scholar research project, not available for public viewing, warning about reproducing from the web
Searching: Annie will flesh out search methodology for Celyn
Format of survey: Part of our site (web form)
Multiple choice, yes/no with field for elaboration (open ended)
One survey that is legible to all groups (libraries, English departments, Creative writing departments) explore translating survey for French-language universities, but still looking for English-language poetry readings (translation – use Concordia translation service)
Have a working draft by the beginning of February, at which point team member will provide input and aid in the specific phrasing of questions
To do:
Jason
- Find out if we need ethics clearance
Darren
- Contact Al Filreis re: a spring meeting
- Post link to Alan Liu site
Jared
- Upload remainder of files to Soundcloud; embed links in WordPress site
Annie
- Prepare preliminary draft of Audio Survey
- Communicate with Celyn re: plan for searching
Celyn
- Complete data entry with Deanna
Deanna
- Meet with Sina and Stephanie
- Complete data entry
- Plan next meeting
Next meeting 2nd week of February, 2011