ACTS

[Ed Mullaly]

Cindy,

 

My resource site, ACTS, has been taken off line over the years by the
Electronic Text Centre of UNB for a couple of reasons. One was that my
primitive coding (dBase III+, etc) was not up to more modern standards and
is thus in need of a major, intensive and expensive, rewrite. A second, and
much more significant reason, had to do with the security of UNB's whole
system. The UNB Text Centre supported a number of academic research sites
under its umbrella. It became obvious that such sites were almost completely
unprotected gateways for would-be hackers into the entire university system.
Thus they had to be blocked off. They were.

 

In recent months, though, the situation has begun to look a little more
sanguine. To begin with, the ETC has begun what its leader, Erik Moore,
calls a "rebirth". The ETC is no more; in its place is the Centre for
Digital Scholarship. It has its own Scholarly Communications Librarian, who
is focused on two new repositories: UNB Scholar (the new text repository),
and also a digital collection repository (which is where ACTS could well
find its new home). The hope is that a new migration path for ACTS can be
achieved in this new digital repository. Of course, an infusion of new
funding for the project would help speed this rebirth immensely. Everyone
lives in hope.

 

So it looks as though ACTS has not been abandoned and, more, that it could
well lead the way into this wondrous brave new world. The hope is that,
maybe even this fall, work will begin on the template for a newly structured
coding of the ACTS Bibliography. My own thought is that, from there, we
could go on to the performance calendars. And on. And on.

 

The interest in this site has, gratifyingly, not diminished in recent years
- both academics and theatre professionals have been prodding UNB and myself
for signs of new life. Inasmuch as the site has published, over the decades,
much primary research from Ann Saddlemyer, Richard Plant, Anton Wagner (much
research by Anton Wagner), John Ball, Patrick O'Neill and many, many others,
I'm hoping that my optimism for the site turns out to be justified.

 

I will keep Candrama in touch. Of course, the email thoughts outlined above
bear no official weight. They represent simply my own view of the present
situation.

 

Best wishes to all who continue to toil in the vineyard of Canadian theatre
research.

 

PS. Please note that my own email address is emullaly at nbnet.nb.ca  One of
your other responders had it slightly wrong.

 

------------------------------------------

I'm really sorry for you all.

But it's an unjust world,

And virtue is triumphant

Only in theatrical performances 

                                    -- Mikado

 

Edward Mullaly,                        

511 Mansfield St,

Fredericton, NB   E3B 3A1

(506) 454-3463

 

 

 

 

From: Canadian Theatre Research [mailto:CANDRAMA at listserv.unb.ca] On Behalf
Of Cindy Murrell
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2014 2:07 PM
To: CANDRAMA at LISTSERV.UNB.CA
Subject: ACTS

 

Does anyone know what has become of the Atlantic Canada Theatre Site?  I can
no longer manage to access it.  Is there another organization which has
taken it over?  Is there another way to access the Ball & Plant bibliography
and its updates online?

 

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks a lot.

Cindy

 

Cindy Murrell

Visual and Performing Arts Library

University of Calgary

 

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