A quick peek in the SABC Audio Restoration Section - I am holding...

Bags Farrell works as a sound engineer in the Audio Restoration Section, where they restore and re-master audio.
SABC Audio Restoration is part of the SABC Media Libraries.


At this moment he is working on…

... a collection of LP records, that needs restoring. 
I will clean the LP first, then record it into my computer, restore the audio and then I transfer the audio to a CD.

I follow this process for every LP that will be transferred to CD.


Related post:

Interview with the Audio Restoration Engineer at SABC Audio Restoration department


Blog post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

Wordless Wednesday in the SABC Radio Archives

Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC Record Library

Vickey Steyn, SABC Record Library

This is part of a series of blog posts to gain a better understanding of the SABC Record Library, as well as part of a series of blog posts about the Media Libraries. The interviews are generating a better understanding of what we do in the different sections that we belong to.

The interview this week is with Vickey Steyn, a Record Librarian in the SABC Record Library.

The Record Library houses recorded music, previously unavailable, as well as all genres of recorded music, including Jazz, Gospel, Kwaito, Rap, Rave, Classical, World, Light, Mood, Sound Effects and others. The music is regularly accessed by staff and made available to internal clients.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. (Where you grew up, where and what you studied and your work experience before you joined the SABC Record Library)

I grew up in Heidelberg Gauteng, where I am residing to this day. I went to AG Visser Primary School, and matriculated in 2002 at Hoër Volkskool. After school I didn’t want to study, so I worked at Pick a Pay for a year. Following that I waitressed at Heidelberg Pub en Restaurant during the night and worked at Evermaster Int. Import and Export Company during the day.  Evermaster closed down and moved overseas. I then worked for AVBOB as an administration clerk.  In 2007 I joined the SABC as a Receptionist, and after two years I applied for the vacancy in the Record Library…  And this is where my journey began!

Please tell us about a normal day in your office. What music do you give priority to?

A normal day in my office is to capture music cd’s on the Record Library system.  Every Tuesday we receive cd’s from different record companies.  You mingle with different personalities at the record companies. After we’ve received the cd’s we have to listen to it so that we can give it a classification to capture it on the system.  I’m also doing the TOP 20 every week. It is called “The Top 20 sales of CD’s sold” which RSG is broadcasting on air every Saturday between 13:00 and 14:00; it’s also placed on the web on a weekly basis. 

Do you struggle with technical difficulties, and if so, what?

Yes, but it usually get sorted out very quickly by Gary from BIT.  Didn’t come across anything yet that couldn’t be sorted out.

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.

There is not a thing in my work that I don’t enjoy… Everything that I’m doing is satisfying.  Sometimes there are times that you struggle with something, but it’s not a huge thing that spoils your work situation.  I work with great colleagues. I can’t imagine a working day without them.  They make you feel like being part of a team, and with this “team” you can never have a dull moment or feel left out!


Related posts:
Interview with an assistant record librarian in the SABC Record Library
Interview with Aaron Magoro at the SABC Record Library
Interview with a Systems Adiministrator at the SABC Record Library


Questions and blog post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

Interview with Aaron Magoro at the SABC Record Library

Aaron Magoro
SABC Record Library

This is an interview as part of a series of blog posts to gain a better understanding of the SABC Record Library, as well as part of a series of blog posts about the SABC Media Libraries. It is a way of generating a better understanding of what we do in the different sections that we belong to.

The interview this week is with Aaron Magoro, a Record Librarian in the SABC Record library.

The Record Library houses recorded music, previously unavailable, as well as all genres of recorded music, including Jazz, Gospel, Kwaito, Rap, Rave, Classical, World, Light, Mood, Sound Effects and others. The music is regularly accessed by staff and made available to internal clients.

Aaron, please tell us a little bit about your life and career.

I was born in Soweto. I grew up in the township and I attended primary & higher primary school in Soweto. I moved to Mpumalanga where I went to secondary school to obtain my Junior Certificate.
Before I joined the SABC I was at CNA Warehouse supplying different outlets with magazines and newspapers of local and international content. It was very interesting to work in that department. I only worked there for a short period. After I had left I had a call that there were vacancies at the SABC, upon which I applied for a job here.

Please tell us about a normal day in your office. What music do you give priority to?

A normal day at the office is hectic. We deal with different clients with different needs. Every piece of music to us is a priority as a service to our clients. After I have completed the requests by customers, I do my normal work capturing data. The information being captured is shared with the ten regions of the SABC country wide.

Tell us more about your collection and the scope of material you need to preserve in the record library.

In the library we have a variety of global music. We have a vast collection. It includes the National Anthems of other countries. We came up tops during the Soccer World Cup which was hosted in South Africa. We were the sole independent of the media to rely on in terms of music of other countries.  We receive music as it is presented to us. This point is very important because we don’t limit our collections or censor it.  Different people do research on different projects. It is not up to us to select for them but to cater to their needs of what they require.

Do you struggle with technical difficulties, and if so, what?

Technical difficulties in the record library: It is very few, except for the process and procedures which should be followed very carefully, as well as to remember the password and id users may need in future.

If you have an anecdote about a specific piece of interesting music, please share it with us.

I like a selection of evergreen music with the message of courage; lifting up one’s spirit when you are feeling down. To name a few: Mahalia Jackson, Uncle Satchmo, Brook Benton, Aretha Franklin, and local northern Sotho tradition and township music with a vibe.

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.

I enjoy a social life. My daily life at work involves socialising with different people, sharing different ideas and most of the time I assist when more information are required.


Related posts:
Interview with a Record Librarian in the SABC Record Library: Sound effects and mood music
Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC Record Library: William Rapabi
Interview with a Record Librarian in the SABC Record Library: Justice Muthakhi
Interview with a Systems Administrator at the SABC Record Library: Marinda Wolmarans

Questions and blog post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC Record Library: Sound Effects and Mood Music

Elmarie Liebenberg
SABC Record Library

This is an interview as part of a series of blog posts to gain a better understanding of the SABC Record Library, as well as part of a series of blog posts about the SABC Media Libraries. It is a way of generating a better understanding of what we do in the different sections that we belong to.

The interview this week is with Elmarie Liebenberg, a Record Librarian in the SABC Record library.
The Record Library houses recorded music, previously unavailable, as well as all genres of recorded music, including Jazz, Gospel, Kwaito, Rap, Rave, Classical, World, Light, Mood, Sound Effects and others. The music is regularly accessed by staff and made available to internal clients.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. (Where you grew up, where and what you studied and your work experience before you joined the SABC Record Library)

I grew up in Prieska, after matric I became a Matie in Stellenbosch where I got a degree in Physical Education. Married a farmer and lived on a farm in Bonnievale for 20 years, then moved to a farm in the Waterberge area between Nylstroom and Vaalwater. Left the farm in 1992 and started at the SABC Record Library, (my first job), moved to the Sound Effects and Mood Music section, retired and now back on contract until….
 Please tell us about a normal day in your office. What music do you give priority to?

A normal day involves: attending to e-mails, filing of CDs, updating the library, assisting the users/compilers/sound engineers, capturing information onto the computer.

Tell us more about your collection and the scope of material you need to preserve in the record library.

We keep sound effects and mood/production music CDs in this section. Sound effects CDs (the sounds you hear in dramas, stories, programmes etc.) are very expensive, most of them imported and not available in shops. The SABC has a selection on transcriptions compiled by SABC sound engineers. No royalties to be paid when using sound effects. At present we have 38 FX (sound effects) libraries.
Mood or Production music is music specifically written for inclusion in audio and/or audio-visual productions. The music is already recorded for convenient synchronization and/or dubbing into productions. It’s range encompasses recorded versions of classical works, fanfares, bridges, stings etc., in fact almost any type of musical accompaniment or backing to almost any scene. At present we have 150 MM libraries in the FX/MM section.
Mood/Production music is less expensive than commercial music and readily available. It is licensed – in most cases – at published rates and pre-clearance is not necessary. You pay a set fee to clear the music and the recording.
By comparison, if you wish to dub a commercial record onto your production, you have to negotiate fees both with the music copyright owner and the record company before making the production.

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.

I love music and enjoy assisting the users in compiling a production. I often have to try to think what they have in mind and then search for the right piece of music or sound!

Related posts:
Interview with a Record Librarian in the SABC Record Library: William Rapabi
Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC Record Library: Justice Muthakhi
Interview with a Systems Administrator in the SABC Record Library: Marinda Wolmarans

Questions and post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC Record Library: William Rapabi

William Rapabi
SABC Record Library

This is part of a series of blog posts to gain a better understanding of the SABC Record Library, as well as part of a series of blog posts about the SABC Media Libraries. It is a way of generating  a better understanding of what we do in the different sections that we belong to.
The interview this week is with William Rapabi, or Raps, the Record Librarian in charge of the check-out counter at the Record Library.

The SABC Record Library houses recorded music, previously unavailable, as well as all genres of recorded music, including Jazz, Gospel, Kwaito, Rap, Rave, Classical, World, Light, Mood, Sound Effects and others. The music is regularly accessed by staff and made available to internal clients.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. (Where you grew up, where and what you studied and your work experience before you joined the SABC Record Library)

My name is William M. Rapabi, and I was born in Soweto (Molapo location) where I started primary schooling. In 1976 I went to Witsieshoek now called Qwaqwa to do high school studies. Having completed high school, I then attended college in Johannesburg doing a mixture of courses that included switchboard, office administration, typing …… aag I have forgotten the others, and please don’t ask me what the diploma was called. While still in college the SABC came looking for workers and I got my employment.

Please tell us about a normal day in your office. What music do you give priority to?

My job mainly entails signing in and out of music(CD’s) to compilers, dj’s, producers, to mention but a few doing different programmes on radio or television.  Naturally their choice of music would differ according to content required. Reminders are always send to users to check in what they loaned from the library because if after 6 weeks CD’s are still outstanding, deductions from their salaries is done to replace those CD’s.  The packing slips and audit trails are filed daily to keep record of what went out and came back.

Tell us more about your collection and the scope of material you need to preserve in the record library.

The collection and scope of material we have has already been elaborated on by Justice Muthakhi. I would specifically want to talk about the indigenous music that only the SABC has on transcriptions that really needs preserving. It is gold to this company.

Do you struggle with technical difficulties, and if so, what?

Talking about technical difficulties Here I don’t wish to do deductions on the same day that salaries are done because then I have time frames and unfortunately we both tap into main-frame and the system becomes very slow.

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.

Why I enjoy doing the work: I love working with music and enjoy listening to music. Whatever circumstances I’m in, music will always pull me through. Thank you.

Related posts:
Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC Record Library
Interview with a Systems Administrator at the SABC Record Library

Questions and post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives.

Interview with a systems administrator in the SABC Record Library

Marinda Wolmarans
SABC Record Library

This is the second interview as part of a series of blog posts to gain a better understanding of the SABC Record Library, as well as part of a series of blog posts about the SABC Media Libraries. It is a way of generating a better understanding of what we do in the different sections that we belong to.

The interview is with Marinda Wolmarans, a Systems Administrator in the Record library. The SABC Record Library houses recorded music, previously unavailable, as well as all genres of recorded music, including Jazz, Gospel, Kwaito, Rap, Rave, Classical, World, Light, Mood, Sound Effects and others. The music is regularly accessed by staff and made available to internal clients of the SABC.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. (Where you grew up, where and what you studied and your work experience before you joined the SABC Record Library)
I was born in JHB. I worked at Trust Bank now Absa and from there started at the SABC.

Please tell us about a normal day in your office.
When I arrive in the morning the first is checking e-mails and regularly during the day as well.  The Regions and JHB send performers and labels to be added on the system to be able to capture the information on the system.  Not one day is the same, some days problems that affects all the Regions will be send via e-mail or I’ll be contacted telephonically to rectify the mistakes made on the systems.  I check CD information and send the mistakes back to the regions and JHB personnel to rectify.  It takes a lot of time because you have to check who added the CD first, everything needs to be written down and checked thoroughly. People need to be focused when capturing of CDs are being done.

What does the future have in store for us digitally?
I can’t wait for the Digital System but I foresee we might have problems with the information on the CD’s and the actual songs on the disc. I hope that all the information that we currently have will be transferred without any major problems.

Tell us why you enjoy doing the work that you do.
Every day has a different challenge.

Related post:
Interview with a Record Librarian at the SABC record Library

Questions and post by Karen du Toit, Afrikaans Archivist in the SABC Radio Archives

South African Library Week

The SABC Media Libraries are celebrating South African Library Week.

The SABC Media Libraries consist of 5 very different sections and 39 versatile staff members: –

The Information Library is your usual library, but for a few exceptional features: this is the information hub to go to when you need anything, from a recipe or knitting instructions to specialised information on broadcasting-specific subjects. All important newspaper articles regarding the SABC, World Cup Soccer 2010 and major political events and happenings are scanned and electronically preserved. It also houses an Internet café and the staff can scan, copy or print any documents you might need for research or projects.

The Music Library is unique in that it deals mostly with clients from outside the SABC, hiring out classical music scores and orchestral instruments to orchestras, choirs and other musicians. Apart from taking care of some beautiful and unique music instruments like Steinway pianos, Lyon & Healy harps and two gorgeous Pollman double basses, it also contains a wealth of interesting information on music in South Africa from as far back as 1934, in the form of classical music programmes of symphony concerts and other cultural events.

The Record Library, a name which still dates from the time when records were proudly owned, played and displayed by any person who loved his music - when any true music lover saved for months to buy that perfect desired long-playing record, and when cd’s and cassettes were nothing more than science fiction. There is nothing outdated about this library at present, though. Now containing mostly cd’s and dvd’s, this is the playground for any DJ or music compiler worth his salt. It houses an astonishing collection of music ranging from hip-hop to jazz to pop to classics to maskandi, and everything in-between.

The Sound Restoration Unit digitally re-masters audio and transfers it to CD, thereby playing an important role in restoring and preserving music from the past – they can also copy your cd and design a label for your special recording.

Radio Archives is another information-rich link in the media libraries. Faithfully preserving and restoring programs in English, Afrikaans, Sotho, Tsonga, Venda, Zulu - in fact all official languages – these dedicated fundi can find you sound clips and programs on diverse subjects like history, sports, dramas and other genres from as far back as 1926.

Do yourself a favour and come and spend a lunch hour (or any bit of free time) to browse through our collections, get to know the librarians and archivists and discover more about any subject which interests you. It will be time well spent!

PLEASE TAKE NOTE

YOU CAN RETURN ANY LIBRARY BOOKS THIS WEEK –

NO FINES – NO QUESTIONS ASKED