Composition of Music Libraries
Neil Millican, Alexis Recchia, Jane Rucker, CJ Pipins and Ella Peterson
In The Beginning…
Due to the non-secular nature of most early musical composition, collections of music were primarily held within religious institutions such as monasteries or cathedrals. However, in post-Renaissance Europe, these collections began to be expanded within centralized library systems.
Now, music libraries exist in a myriad of different forms: as stand-alone collections, attached to institutions of higher learning, affiliated with government, corporate, and performing art organizations.
Types of Music Libraries
Academic (often research-based; Music Department of a university or college)
Conservatories (in support of schools of music)
Corporate (often music publishers, managing licensed materials)
Public (music collections within public collections [i.e. NY Public Library])
Government (i.e. Library of Congress)
Independent (Professional associations for composers and performing artists; opera houses, symphonies; specific collections utilized for film and broadcasting)
For example…
NPR! http://www.ibiblio.org/slanews/nln/nln07/nln294.pdf
Music Library Collections
Music Scores (M’s) Collected Works
Complete Works of Composers Folios and Miniature Scores
Music Literature and Audio Collections
Music Literature (ML’s) Music Theory (MT’s) Periodicals (Opera News, Diapason) Sound Recordings
o SLP’s Vinyl Recordso CD’so Performance Records of Faculty, Associated Artists,
Student Recitalso Videoo Reel to Reel
Music Library Reference Section
Music Encyclopedias Music Bibliographies Foreign Language Dictionaries Reference for singers (Diction in French, Russian,
Italian, German) Collected lyrics in translation of Foreign Composers Musical America (Guide to Orchestras, Opera
Houses, Ballet, Symphonies, Teachers and Agents)
Special Collections and Archives
Sheet Music CollectionsPrivate Collections of Performers
(Casals, Christina Caroll Collection of Opera Scores)
Original Manuscripts of Musical Works
Music Cataloging
Differs according to type of music library
Standard: AARC2, MARC
MLA currently lobbying for a more appropriate set of standards for music cataloging
How to Catalog?
For music books, AACR2 and LC standards are followed.
For music recording, AACR2 is followed, with some modification to title, author, date. LC classification.
For scores, AACR2 is the general guide. However, most of the information that is necessary to create a distinctive record is put into a field that does not fit. LC classification.
Online Catalogs
Public, partial catalog: The British Library:
http://www.bl.uk/collections/music/musiccatalogues.html
Public Library, full catalog: New York Public Library:
http://www.nypl.org/research/lpa/lpa.html
Academic Library, multiple catalogs: Harvard University:- Oasis:
http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/advancedsearch?_collection=oasis
- Hollis: http://hollis.harvard.edu
Academic Library, full catalog: Yale University:
http://www.library.yale.edu/musiclib/muslib.htm
Conservatory, full catalog: New England Conservatory:
http://www.newenglandconservatory.edu/libraries/index.html
Music Cataloging and Digital Collections
Los Angeles Public Library: Music and Movie catalog is a gateway to digital ‘loans’—loaned digital material is good for 21 days
Harvard Digital Score Collection: http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/loebmusic/collections/digital.html
New York Public Library Digital Collection: http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgdivisionbrowseresult.cfm?trg=1&div_id=pm
Specific example:http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchdetail.cfm?trg=1&strucID=1094995&imageID=1604279&parent_id=1073295&word=&snum=&s=¬word=&d=&c=&f=&sScope=&sLevel=&sLabel=&total=3&num=0&imgs=12&pNum=&pos=3#
Reference Desk
Staffed by music librarian who typically has an undergraduate degree in music, in addition to their MLS.
Responds to queries and assists in discovery of resources face-to-face and virtually.
Performs user instruction and prepares guides.
Access Services
Provides circulation functions. Communicates with patrons about overdue
materials, recalls, and holds. Billing and collecting fees. Provides stack maintenance. Reserves study rooms. Communicates with security officials.
Disability Services Provides access to machines which help the
disabled (blind, deaf, etc.). Includes hearing aids, print enlargers and
special assistive devices. Helps obtain Braille resources and readers.
Interlibrary Loan Arranges for patrons to receive materials
not owned by the library.
Computing/Audiovisual Services
May be managed by IT or access services. Maintains computers—call maintenance when
necessary, clean, load paper. Computers often have additional headphone
sockets and special software for producing music and multimedia projects.
“Listening Center” may include DVD player, TV, stereos, record and/or tape players.
Qualifications
MLS The more music background,
the better. A background in humanities
can be very useful, as well.
Museum Museum of Performance and Design- http://www.sfpalm.org/
AcademicListen online: UCLA- http://www2.library.ucla.edu/libraries/music/index.cfm
Public New York Public Libraryhttp://www.nypl.org/research/lpa/mus/mus.html
OnlineNaxos Music Library http://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com/home.asp
Outreach
Service to the public. New York Public Library:
http://www.nypl.org/research/calendar/prog/lpa/plistlpa2.cfm
http://www.nypl.org/research/calendar/prog/lpa/video.cfm
Chicago Public Library:
http://www.chipublib.org/events/details/id/8988/
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