The aim of this article is to describe the genesis and structural components for an open‐source MusicXML digital library platform.
After briefly discussing music information retrieval within the context of emerging approaches to digital music notation formats, specifically MusicXML, the article discusses how the author's graduate school project evolved into a search and delivery platform for MusicXML files and their manifestations, with particular emphasis on the platform's underlying software structure. A discussion of the platform's end user interface and administrative scripts provides further explanation regarding how the system functions.
Although work remains to be done, digital libraries are poised to use MusicXML and its supporting software for the advancement of music‐related services offered to patrons.
The paper discusses a proof‐of‐concept, open‐source MusicXML digital library platform that may be of interest to librarians with and without musical and/or programming backgrounds.
