I am capable of searching obsessively for the most minute detail. On and on I go. Former librarians do not like giving up, and I’m afraid to say that by the time I’ve finished, I’m pretty certain that I’ve either found all that’s online to find, or it isn’t there.
So, I started writing an article last week. I have plenty of data. Why, I even have a scanned document from the National Library of Australia, and I have a photo of one individual that I never expected to find at all.
Nonetheless, on Saturday night, I thought of another search that I hadn’t tried. Oh, my! Immediately, I found one of my musical Scotswomen exactly where I had wanted to find her. Very satisfying.
I went to bed thinking about my search strategy. I had breakfast and did a bit more before going out. This afternoon? Yup, back at it again.
I think I persevered a tad too long. I found more adverts for her works. I explored the names of professionals who performed them. I even searched for pictures of the now-demolished theatre where one piece was performed. (Oh yes, I found it.) She may not even have seen that herself!
Finally, I found her advertising the services of two particular performers for whom she had written music. Not Scots, either. But that’s enough. I suspect she didn’t do a lot more after that, or I’d surely have found it.
Am I drawing the line here, then? Well, I have a couple of archival queries that I simply must see through to the bitter end, but then? I’m still a part-time researcher.
Better get on with the writing in the time allocated to research!
Karen McAulay, Musicologist 