Author Archives: Karen Mcaulay

About Karen Mcaulay

Karen McAulay is a music librarian by career, and a musicologist by inclination, which explains why she undertook doctoral research whilst holding down a full-time music librarian job. Having achieved the magical postnominals, she now indulges her research proclivities by exploring paratexts in early 19th century Celtic song collections, and draws upon her research experience on a regular basis when assisting staff and students with their information needs.

A week in the life of …

Contributer: Karen Mcaulay    Posted: August 6, 2011
Categories: Careers Advice & Job Information, Music

What does a music librarian do? Here’s a typical week while the students are on vacation … Read More »

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A Lesson in Being Prepared

Contributer: Karen Mcaulay    Posted: July 29, 2011
Categories: Conferences & Networking, Music, Teaching & Learning

I was determined to provide audio clips for my Minstrels and Metaphors paper at IAML 2011 in Dublin this week.  I engaged a thoroughly modern minstrel (one of our students). We rehearsed, and I booked the studio.  Unfortunately, even modern … Read More »

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The PostDoc Doc writes again

Contributer: Karen Mcaulay    Posted: July 22, 2011
Categories: Music

So, what did I do in my first postdoctoral year, and what happened next?  I’ll tell you! I remained in the same full-time job.  I wrote, delivered and published papers.  I even submitted a book proposal.  Until, suddenly, it was … Read More »

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To Post-doc or not to Post-doc: is this a question?

Contributer: Karen Mcaulay    Posted: July 3, 2011
Categories: Music, Teaching & Learning

As a doctoral student the first time round, I struggled to imagine myself conducting a seminar or giving a lecture.  This struggle, allied to the knowledge that postdoctoral positions were thin on the ground, certainly influenced my decision to pursue … Read More »

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Finding short-cuts

Contributer: Karen Mcaulay    Posted: June 22, 2011
Categories: Music

I could write a book on how to juggle a full-time job and a research career!  My own story is certainly not intended as a blueprint! I can’t say there weren’t disadvantages to juggling.  A trip to Glasgow University for … Read More »

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Why do research? Why climb mountains?!

Contributer: Karen Mcaulay    Posted: June 16, 2011
Categories: Music

In my last posting, I introduced you to my chosen area of research, Scottish song-collecting in the late 18th and 19th centuries.  So, just how did I arrive there? I needed a research subject that interested and motivated me, because … Read More »

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Scottish song? But you’re not even Scottish!

Contributer: Karen Mcaulay    Posted: June 14, 2011
Categories: Music

So there I was, a recycled postgrad in my mid-forties.  My choice of research subject evinced a wide variety of comments.  Why had a Sassenach chosen to research Scottish song collectors?  Why had I chosen a subject so very different … Read More »

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The Hybrid

Contributer: Karen Mcaulay    Posted: June 6, 2011
Categories: Careers Advice & Job Information, History Of Music

I describe myself as a Librarian/Musicologist.  That’s not my job-title, so I’d better start by explaining my pendulum-like career trajectory to date.  Since graduating from Durham in 1979, I’ve gone from research to librarianship (academic, then public, then academic) – … Read More »

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