Library Hacks
Getting the most out of YOUR Music Library
Patrick Fulton & Sara Nodine
Warren D. Allen Music Library
So, what the heck is a
hack anyway?
LIBRARY MATERIALS
How do I find what I’m looking for?
• Three ways to search for resources:
• Basic Search
• Advanced Search
• Summon
• Which should I choose and why?
• Does it really make a difference?
Hacking the Catalog
Basic Searching
Advanced Searching
Located below the
catalog search on
music.fsu.edu/library!
Summon
Summon
Ok, we got pretty close,
but is that the best we
can do?
Hack #1
HACK #1
• Try some facets,
they’re amazing!
• Basic/Advanced
Searching
• Limit by library,
format, author,
publisher, etc.
Hack #1- Limit, Limit, Limit
• To narrow down these
thousands of results,
Summon offers facets
too!
• Summon allows for
even more flexibility
by including or
excluding multiple
facets at once!
Hack #1- Limit, Limit, Limit
Great! I found exactly
what I wanted; where can
I find more just like this?
Hack #1
HACK #2
Hack #2- Subject Headings
& Uniform Titles
Hack #2- Subject Headings
& Uniform Titles
Created by Patrick Fulton- Spring 2014
• Allen Music Library subscribes to a wide range of
resources online:
• Streaming Audio & Video
• Electronic Journals
• MASSIVE Databases!
• What are the major online resources?
• How do I get to them?
Electronic Resources
Grove Music Online
Grove Music Online
Oxford Bibliographies
Oxford Bibliographies
JSTOR
JSTOR
IPA Source
IPA Source
ProQuest
Streaming Resources:
Naxos Music & Video Libraries
• Wide collection of products including: Smithsonian
Global Sound, American Song, etc.
• Search them all at once at
Search.AlexanderStreetPress.com
Streaming Resources:
Alexander Street Press
There are so many
resources out there… how
am I going to ever use
them all?
Hack #1
HACK #3
Hack #3- Proxy Access:
Use web resources anywhere at
any time!
Many databases and
streaming sources are
making their content
mobile ready!
Some sources like
Naxos even have apps
now!
Hack #3a- Proxy Access:
Take the resources with you!
MATERIALS FOUND!
Now how do I get them?
• For books and scores, library items divide into collections:
• AML: General Collection, Media, Reference, and Research
• AML Website: All electronic collections
• Other Campus Libraries: Strozier, Dirac, Goldstein, Medical,
Law, etc.
• Don’t forget about us!
• Special Collections
• Older Media (Reel-to-reels, DATs, Cassettes, Laserdiscs, etc.)
Physical Collections
• General/Media Collection- Regularly-circulating books,
scores, and media items
• Research Collection- Collected works and critical
editions
• Reference Collection- Dictionaries, style guides,
bibliographies, widely-used reference sources
• In-Library Use Only: Periodicals, micro-materials,
Reserves, Reference, etc.
Allen Music Library:
Know your Collection
That’s great, but we see
these things every day. Is
that all you’ve got?
Hack #1
HACK #4
AML Special Collections
• AML is home to many rare items dating back as far as the
16th century
• Personal collections from Ernst von Dohnányi, Wiley
Housewright, Ella Scoble Opperman, and many more!
• Massive collections of piano rolls, confederate sheet
music, braille music, etc.
• Significant individual items (Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah)
• Reel-to-reels and other older media!
Hack #4- There’s a world
beyond the catalog!
AML Special Collections
And the best part… you
have access to all of it!
• Search for Special Collections items using the link on the
home page
• Most collections can be used in the library
• Certain collections have restrictions—we’ll let you know! 
• Old media
• For reels, DATs, and Cassettes, we’re happy to help with
digitization
• See your circulation desk worker for a form!
Special Collections:
How do I get it?
TA or Faculty member?
Have we got a hack for you!
Hack #1
HACK #5
Hack #5- Library Express
Delivery Service
That’s awesome! …but
what do I do if the item
isn’t on the shelf?
LIBRARY SERVICES
Don’t worry! We’re here to help!
1.
2.
• 1. See that due date? Don’t Stress!
• 2. Click ‘Place a Hold’
• Enter your FSU Lib # and your pickup location
• We’ll take care of the rest!
Someone has it checked
out? Try placing a hold!
“Available, but not on shelf.”
“We really should have this!”
• Ask our friendly
circulation staff for help!
• Still no luck? Fill out a
Search Request Form!
• Have a great idea for a
resource we don’t yet
have?
• Let us know about it by
filling out an Order
Request form!
We’ve got a form for that!
Is there any other way to
get items FSU doesn’t
have?
Hack #1
HACK #6
UBorrow
• Borrow items from all
college/university libraries
in FL
• Delivery in 3-5 business
days
• Select right from the catalog
search!
Hack #6a- State Library
Loan Service (UBorrow)
State Library Loan Service (UBorrow)
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
• Borrow from
colleges, universities,
and public libraries
across the U.S. and
internationally!
• Delivery in approx. 2
weeks
Hack #6b- Interlibrary
Loan Service (ILL)
ILL- Placing a request
That’s great, but aren’t
there a ton of versions of
that sonata? Which will I
get?
Hack #1
HACK #7
Hack #7- WorldCat & OCLC Numbers
Hack #7- I choose you, Schirmer!
Hack #7- A Better ILL Request!
This is so great! I can
access everything! …got
anything else I should
know about? 
ABSOLUTELY!!!
AML Reference Sessions
AML Special Events
Of course, you know, we
had to save the best hack
for last…
Hack #1
HACK #8
Patrick Fulton
Circulation/Reserves
Manager
pfulton@fsu.edu
Sara Nodine
Collection
Development
Librarian
snodine@fsu.edu
Laura Gayle
Green
Library Director
lgreen3@fsu.edu
Hack #8-Your AML Staff!!
Questions?
Created by:
Patrick Fulton & Sara Nodine
Warren D. Allen Music Library
Licensed by: Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International