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Music Collection Development Policy

Overview of the Collection

This area of the collection supports the Music department, which grants the following undergraduate and graduate degrees:

BA: Music Education, Music Industry, Music Therapy, Breadth Studies
BM: Performance, Composition

MA: Music Education, Music Industry
MM: Composition, Conducting, Performance
MIAS: Music Industry Administration (Tseng College)

The majority of the holdings are in Music & Media, although print journals are housed on the fourth floor and materials related to music engineering are also on the fourth floor. DVDs and videos are available for all aspects of music: master classes, performances, rehearsals, career guidance, technical skills, for example.

Scope of Coverage

Language: scores and sound recordings are collected in their original language (preferably with English translation); primary resources are in original languages; secondary materials may be purchased in English

Geographical areas: the collection has traditionally focused on the Western canons of classical and popular music; the collection now focuses more on indigenous music of Africa, Asia, and South America, as well as on American forms such as jazz.

Chronological periods: emphasis is on new and recent publications of scores, sound recordings, and books. The collection strives to include Urtext (original) versions of scores and may acquire older editions to that end.

Types of Materials

Collected: Reference works, including bibliographies, discographies, encyclopedias, guides to research; monographs, periodicals, Festschriften, scores (full, vocal, and miniature and chamber pieces up to nine parts, collected works by composer and style); libretti and IPA guides for operas; recordings (compact discs) and DVDs (operas and other musical performances, master classes, etc).

Collected selectively: music-related videos when DVDs are not available or out of print. Programs from concerts and performances. Dissertations and theses from other universities. Extensive critical history (kritische Berichte) in foreign languages. Fakebooks and lead sheets.

Not collected: pre-VHS formats of musical presentations; orchestral or wind ensemble scores with more than nine parts
Student theses and recordings are now born-digital and available from the Music Department and in ScholarWorks, the institutional repository

Circulation policies

Circulation varies by material type. The collected works and critical editions (scores) are for library use only. Some vocal scores are for library use only and in many cases there is a second copy that circulates (for example, the vocal scores for Wicked and Les Miz). Major reference works do not circulate, but many of the annotated bibliographies and discographies may be checked out.

Scores with more than one part are kept on permanent Reserve but may be checked out for a standard loan period. Other materials placed on Reserve for the semester have lending periods contingent on the faculty member for the class.

Selection tools

  • YBP/GOBI Direct
  • A Basic Music Library (published by the Music Library Association)
  • Choice reviews
  • Theodore Front Music (approval plan)
  • Music journal reviews, such as Musical Times
  • Trade reviews, such as New York Times
  • Music department curriculum
  • Music faculty requests
  • Music student requests

Related subjects

  • Theatre
  • CTVA
  • Art
  • Dance
  • Chicano Studies
  • Fashion/FCS

Other resources

Special Collections & Archives, located on the second floor of the Library, has many music-related collections, including Women Composers Music Manuscripts Collection and the International Guitar Research Archive.

Written by Lindsay Hansen Brown, Music Bibliographer.