Search documents of our collection : Database

Catalogues, inventories, research tools and databases.

The Phonothèque québécoise has created an Internet-accessible virtual documentation centre. Here music lovers and researchers can learn about sound heritage and locate specific sound documents. The centre also brings together many different individuals who have sound-heritage-related knowledge or artefacts.  Partnerships are thus encouraged, resulting in  research, conservation and publication projects. 

The staff and membership of the Phonothèque québécoise have created a number of catalogues that inventory Quebec's sound heritage. These inventories contain descriptions of our own collections and projects as well as descriptions of donations from private collectors and institutions. Some of the Phonothèque databases are internal only, while others are linked to the Info-Muse network of the Société des musées québécois (SMQ), which is affiliated with the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN). Other databases and documents are available on our web site or for consultation at our offices.

The catalogue provides bibliographic information about books, periodicals, music, video and other materials in Phonothèque québécoise's collection.

Christian Lewis has taken on the task of centralizing all data for the Phonothèque. The information contained in the various databases created by donors, volunteers or ex-employees has been gathered into two main databases, thus streamlining the data and making it more readily accessible: 

· Docu Database: Detailed information about documentary items (monographs, periodicals, theses, files, unedited sound documents, air checks and copies, documents pertaining to our projects). A rough index has been started in order to facilitate the research process. Available at the Phonothèque office, by appointment only: (514) 282-0703, Tuesday through Thursday afternoons.

· BE Collections Database: Detailed information about museum-related items (records and sleeves, sound reproduction devices, posters, artefacts...). This database contains close to 6,000 items. Available at the Phonothèque office, by appointment only: (514) 282-0703, Tuesday through Thursday afternoons.
 
 

Internet-accessible databases:

· CHIN Databases: The Phonothèque has added a condensed version (slightly less detailed, including only fully-processed documents) of the BE Collections Database to this national research tool.  Available on the CHIN website by entering Phonothèque québécoise in the Institution field (this database includes many Canadian museums): http://daryl.chin.gc.ca/Artefacts/f_MasterLayout.cgi . If you are looking  for sleeve images only, check the box Only records with images.

The Virtual Museum of Canada (http://www.virtualmuseum.ca) features one hundred digitized sleeves from our collections. To find them, type Phonothèque in the Search field. 

·Sound Collections Database:  A catalogue of institutional collections of Quebec sound heritage. This is not a list of our own collections, but a compendium of  "Who Collects What" with an alphabetical index of the institutions. Available on our website under Sound Collections.

·Central  Inventory of the Phonothèque Collections:  Central inventory of the collections deposited at or donated to the Phonothèque (recordings, albums, files, hardcopy archives, magazines and monographs, sound reproduction devices, accessories, posters and photographs). Available on our website under Collections.

·Inventory of Phonothèque Projects: Inventory of Phonothèque events, publications, involvements and disc releases. Available on our website under Inventory of Projects.

Inventories and catalogues available only at the Phonothèque documentation centre:

·Inventories provided by donors: Inventories available on disks or hardcopy archives, including those of the Société Radio-Canada (Radio-Canada's radio-fictions), the Sonographe, the Legris-Pagé collection and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI). Some of the information is confidential. Available at the Phonothèque office, by appointment only: (514) 282-0703, Tuesday through Thursday afternoons.

·Inventory of  Quebec Private Sound Archives Collections  (1990): Main inventory of the collections of close to 125 private collectors (albums, recordings, sound reproduction devices, publications). Confidential unless otherwise noted by the collector; availability is restricted to members who obtain permission from the appropriate person. See the disk Inventaire des collections personnelles (Inventory of individual collections) (Mac) or the document in three volumes.

·Catalogue of Bookmarks: A catalogue listing the URLs of websites related to sound heritage. Available at the Phonothèque office, by appointment only: (514) 282-0703, Tuesday through Thursday afternoons.

·Other inventories, catalogues, administrative databases, research files and lists are available upon request. Some information is confidential. Available at the Phonothèque office, by appointment only: (514) 282-0703, Tuesday through Thursday afternoons.