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

Forms of Funding

Government Private Donation

Corporate Donation University Funds

Endowments Grants

Special Collectionswithin Music Libraries

Performance Production

Rare Digital

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=&notword=&d=&c=&f=&sScope=&sLevel=&sLabel=&total=3&num=0&imgs=12&pNum=&pos=3#

Public Services

Reference Desk Access Services Disability Services Computing Interlibrary Loan

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.

Structure

Administration Reference Circulation Technical Services

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/

Future Trends

New technology (i.e. electronic music stands, score-editing programs)

Continued and expanded digitization Globalization of collections