Cleveland Orchestra Introduces Digital Tools to Explore Archives

According to Cleveland.com, The Cleveland Orchestra is making it a lot easier to explore their archives.

Thanks to two recent developments in the orchestra's archives department, people can now explore the orchestra's collections from home.

"I want people to be able to see what we have," said Andria Hoy, the orchestra's chief archivist. "These are things that people want to see but that previously were just sitting a shelf somewhere."

Previously, people had to come into Severance Hall to gain access to the old program books, photos, flyers, articles, and more. Now, the orchestra announced a partnership with the Cleveland Public Library, allowing its entire library of scrapbooks to be digitized and available online for free.

So far, Hoy has digitized 32 books, just under one-tenth of the collection. She hopes to have all 354 books uploaded in four to five years.

The second development is the "Magic Box," which allows patrons to expand their knowledge of Cleveland musical history when attending a performance.

The Magic Box looks like a display case, containing artifacts from the orchestra's collection. But it also includes touch-screen displays that allow patrons to flip through photos and documents, as well as view videos.

The current display is viewable January 19, through the run of "Ariadne." After that, Hoy plans to have exhibits related to larger-scale works and the history of Severance Hall and Blossom Music Center.

"I hope it gives people here a sense of the orchestra's history, and of Cleveland history," Hoy said. "What am I saving all this stuff for if I can't share it with people?"

Read more on Cleveland.com.