Music Library Services Advocacy Statements from Committee Reports
Gerboth Committee
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In general, the community of music library users spend many hours a week within their
departments whether in classes, rehearsals, lessons, or productions (etc) and often have a
greater reliance and need for immediate access to the content and materials (i.e. Scores,
recordings, monographs) found in a music collection.
When music collections are in closer proximity to the music department, it allows faculty,
students, and staff easier and quicker access to content and materials that has an immediate
impact or need in a classroom or performance setting.
Many reference questions require the ability to read music. Assist in identifying unknown works,
assisting singers to identify works suitable for their voice ranges, questions about comparing a
published edition to the original/manuscript version, use of standard reference sources such as
catalogues of a composer's works require musical literacy.
Subject knowledge is required to conduct reference interviews in many cases where recognizing
a red flag will save the librarian and user much time: creative aria spellings, requests for Vivaldi
"violin concerto in D major" (Vivaldi wrote more than 25), etc.
In-depth familiarity with music cataloging conventions is required to maximize searching
efficiency and to explain this to users.
Many reference requests are known-title requests (a recording of work X by orchestra Y, vocal
score of work Z), and users will perceive library staff as more knowledgeable if staff can
recognize, pronounce, and spell common names without asking (Tchaikovsky, Dvorak,
Shostakovich, Milhaud, Rimsky-Korsakov, Steve Reich, Itzhak Perlman, Pachelbel, Wagner;
multiple composers with surnames Strauss, Scarlatti, Bach) and do not need to ask questions
about basic, commonly used terminology, such as: piano trios (which are not work for three
pianos), string quartets (always 2 violins, viola, and cello unless otherwise specified), wind
quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, unless otherwise specified); vocal score, piano
reduction, high voice, lead sheet, charts, original cast recording, figured bass, International
edition (a specific publishing house).
Cataloging of materials to maximize discoverability requires familiarity with publishing practices,
the ability to read music notation, and frequently, the ability to utilize music reference sources
which themselves require music notation literacy.
Music materials by prolific authors or composers (Bach, Wagner) must be physically or virtually
browseable together, requiring adjustments to or addition of classification numbers. For
libraries that participate in the PCC, BIBCO and NACO contributions for music materials rely on a
high level of expertise with the subject and musical literacy, as well as the time to dedicate to
those formats in order to master a complex set of rules and community best practices.
Efficient collection development requires knowledge of repertoire, publishing practices, and
users' needs to strike a balance between ordering insufficient resources for study (one recording
of Beethoven's 9th symphony is not sufficient for collections service research or performance
degrees) and inefficient use of funds (multiple editions of a Beethoven symphony are valuable;
purchasing new reprints may be less effective than new editions).
Expensive 'mistakes' can occur in frequent cases where publishers issue a "new" score where
only minor changes to introductory material have been made--the ability to compare the
musical notation itself and determine if the purchase is warranted saves scare acquisitions
funds. Works that may appear to be unavailable at any price ("on hire") may be obtainable
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through building a relationship with a music publisher, which may be more easily done by
someone with knowledge of music.
Processing of collections requires experience and knowledge of needs of musicians, particularly
for collections serving performers. For example, leaving items spiral-bound may work for a
scholarly resource read cover to cover but spiral binding may be quickly destroyed when carted
around in instrument cases.
Handling multi-item resources such as chamber music parts requires knowledge of use (for
example, some items are best checked out as a set, but it is essential to set up circulation or
other flags to ensure all parts are returned).
Library staff who are musicians, can ensure effective processing so that material is still usable—
for example, publishers will make a point of including loose pieces of paper to facilitate turning
pages for performance that become useless and confusing if simply bound in place and may
become lost if left loose, but someone who can read the music and anticipate needs can ensure
it is both secure and usable.
Physical spaces that suit the needs of researchers and performers require knowledge of how
collections are used. Frequently students/users will need to simultaneously consult recordings
and scores of the same works, making collocation in the same area, or at least building, more
efficient for users.
Shelving and space estimates also are different for music, and analysis benefits from expertise-most scores are larger than 11 inches (some up to 3 feet tall or oblong), and e-versions are not
yet suitable replacements for scores.
Furniture purchases and configuration for music users require some knowledge of use--scores
take up larger surface area than books or laptops and when used together with listening
equipment, a larger work area than in other areas may be required.
Listening equipment requires expertise to maintain (purchase needles for turntables,
headphones, etc.) and facilities with maker-spaces bring additional technological needs.
Suggested references for additional information pertaining to this topic:
Clark, Joe C. "Format Preferences of Performing Arts Students." Journal of Academic Librarianship 39,
no. 3 (May 2013): 297-307.
Tracey Snyder. 2010. Music Materials in a Faceted Catalog: Interviews with Faculty and Graduate
Students. Music Reference Services Quarterly 13:3-4, 66-95.
Archives and Special Collections Committee
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Institutions with music holdings need to have a mission statement that supports music
collections and services. Additionally, an institution that collects unique material should have a
mission statement which includes that, as well as its collecting scope.
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The specialized nature of music materials requires that the librarian who provides services for
those materials possess a corresponding specialized music background. By the same token, a
library that takes in special collections should have staff (either archivists, or librarians with
archives experience and education) who know how to describe, arrange, and preserve such
material.
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Libraries that elect to take in special collections should provide sufficient and climate-controlled
space in which to process and store such material.
Bibliographic Control Committee
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Knowledge Needed by Music Library Staff
o While it's important for all student library workers to know how Library of Congress
Classification works, it is especially important for music library workers to understand
how LC call numbers are ordered within the "M" class in Music Library collections. For
scores to be found by library patrons, the workers who shelve them must understand
how the call numbers work. This requires special knowledge and training.
o Many libraries may be de-emphasizing shelf listing, but there is both anecdotal and
qualitative evidence that music students and faculty still browse music shelves quite a
bit. Another interesting point is that for music, print materials were strongly preferred
over digital scores. (See Florida State University study:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3u1oxdkvset2o4t/Infographic.pptx?dl=0)
o Multiple iterations of the same basic resource require that library staff who assist music
researchers understand how to find the version that the scholar seeks. This requires
special knowledge and training as well. An example of such iterations: physical
manifestations of Beethoven's 5th symphony, including full score, study score,
miniature score, miniature score in an anthology, excerpts, compact disc, LP, 78 rpm
disc.
o Multiple iterations of the same basic resource require also require catalogers with a
specialized understanding of how to create access points that bring these versions
together in search results, making it possible for the user to find all the different
versions of a particular work.
Music Knowledge, Discovery Systems, and Finding Music Materials
o The MLA resource Music Discovery Requirements document has been invaluable for
librarians at several institutions who have been involved in implementing or improving
local discovery systems. It's true what people say--if you can make your discovery
system work well for music, you can make it work well for anything. There are many
facets to musical materials, including form, genre, and medium of performance, which
are crucial elements for discovery. The encoding of such data requires specialized
knowledge. Assisting music researchers in navigating discovery systems using these
elements also requires specialized knowledge.
o Preferred titles (formerly uniform titles) are one of the most complicated aspects of
music cataloging and discovery, and necessarily so. Many standard works do not have
distinctive titles, and the need for carefully and consistently constructed controlled
forms of titles of musical works has not diminished. Many librarians are realizing that
"old fashioned" search modes such as alphabetical browsing of controlled titles under a
composer's name are still extremely useful. Some librarians are advocating for these
classic search modes in the newer interfaces.
From online forum
Requirements for Cataloging Music
To catalog music, a cataloger must be able to do the following:
Musical knowledge
 Read music.
 Read various musical clefs (treble, bass, tenor, alto)
 Recognize different types of notation (including neumatic notation; graphic notation;
solmization; chord symbols; and tablature)
 Identify the musical key, form, genre, and instrumentation of all works.
 For sound recordings, be able to listen and compare performed works to printed music in
thematic catalogs, complete works of a composer, or other scores in various formats from the
collection, in order to identify the works or portions of works on the recording accurately.
o Note: this requires access to the physical scores collection, along with the ability to play
back various types of recordings.
 Know what an arrangement is: a musical work or a portion of a musical work, rewritten for a
medium of performance different from the original.
 Know that different types of scores represent different types of arrangements: condensed score
(score intended for conducting where the parts are reduced to a minimum number of staves);
close score (typically used for hymn books); vocal score; piano score (orchestral score reduced
to a version for piano); chorus score (like a vocal score, except that the music where the chorus
does not sing is omitted.)
 Be familiar with music history and theory.
 Know forms, genres, and instruments corresponding to specific time periods and/or locations.
For example, know that “continuo” is a 17th-18th century medium of performance which may
mean one or more specific instruments, and may or may not be written in figured bass.
 Be familiar with ethnomusicology and be able to identify world music genres and instruments.
 Be able to discern the important information for ethnomusicological resources.
Bibliographic knowledge
 Identify editions of printed music.
 Use reference sources such as thematic catalogs, publishers’ catalogs, and complete works in
order to correctly identify musical works, and to identify first or early editions of music if the
library collects such materials.
 Identify or verify a musical work and create or verify its authorized access point.
 Know how to use a thematic catalog and a composer’s collected works to identify works that
have been incorrectly or incompletely attributed.
 Know which additional sources to use to identify musical works and construct authorized access
points, including biographical dictionaries such as the New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians, Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, national music encyclopedias from various
countries, and RISM (Répertoire International des Sources Musicales).
o Note: Of all these sources, only New Grove and a small part of RISM are currently
online.
 Determine if a work is in its original form or is an arrangement, and know how to identify and
describe arrangements correctly.
 Know when a work has been changed enough to become a new work (new authorized access
point) and when it is simply arranged (original authorized access point + arranged)
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Know how to use reference sources to identify the original title, key, date, and medium of
performance of a work.
Be able to distinguish non-western musical notation from non-Roman text.
Added by Tracey Snyder:
Much catalog data for music is necessarily complex, just due to the nature of the content and the
resources (in various formats) that embody that content. Music librarians who work directly with
researchers need to have specialized knowledge in order to navigate this data and instruct researchers
on various types of searches. Some of the most effective types of searches for music materials are
precise, targeted searches that make extensive use of controlled vocabularies (headings for composers,
performers, musical works, subjects/genres, etc.) and format specifications. These types of searches
tend to be more necessary in music research than in many other disciplines. Many of us do work at the
intersection of catalog creation and catalog navigation/instruction, serving on committees that evaluate,
implement, design, and refine discovery tools. We advocate for music researchers and the specialized
searches they need to be able to perform, and we elucidate the mysteries of MARC (and non-MARC)
music data for our colleagues who work in areas outside of music. In the process of setting up search
systems that accommodate music materials, with all their complexities, we create an ideal environment
for the discovery of other types of materials. (I would like to draw special attention to the Music
Discovery Requirements, a document which has been very valuable for me, and probably for many
others, in this work.)
Membership Committee
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So that MLA can successfully advocate the importance of music libraries and services, there are
answers to questions that, while known amongst the music librarian population, first need to be
concretely listed/publicly documented. For example:
o Who are our (music library) users?
o What are their unique needs?
o How do those needs translate into necessary (physical and virtual) resources, services and
spaces?
o Who are we (professionals, paraprofessionals, etc.) and who/what kinds of
libraries/institutions do we represent?
o What is required of professional and paraprofessionals in the music librarianship field in
order to best serve users (education, experience, resources and funding to support their
work and professional development)?
o What is unique about our collections and the ways in which they are represented, accessed,
acquired/distributed and used?
These are just a few questions. Such foundational information is vital when constructing any paper
or statement that the association and its members would make.
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Ideally, compiling more testimonials or case studies (like in the Branch Libraries Task Force report)
showing the importance of music libraries and their resources, services and people would provide
support to the variety of answers to the above questions.
Preservation Committee
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Skills associated with music librarianship, but valuable to an institution in general: versatility in
describing special collections; cataloging a variety of media; preserving a variety of media;
knowledge of current copyright issues in print and recorded music; knowledge of interdisciplinary
connections with respect to literature, languages, theater, and dance.
Public Services Committee
• The particular nature of music as a discipline in academia requires particular skills on the part of
librarians serving music users. This goes considerably beyond an enjoyment of music and necessarily
entails a professional scholarly depth of knowledge, including (but not limited to) music notation
systems, a broad understanding of music history, performance practice, cultural studies, and specialized
formats in music and media (printed music, audio recordings, video recordings, etc.), and the ability to
guide users in information literate use of the collections.
• Just as the expertise of the librarian must be at a high level in the discipline of music, the facilities must
be adequate to serve the users of the music collection. Printed music must be appropriately shelved
and/or digital score collections made accessible; similarly media must be cared for in a way that
balances preservation and access. The public services to music users must be supported with technical
services in which the expertise about music and music materials is at a high level.
• In some academic settings, this is best handled as a separately housed collection, whether within a
larger library or in the music/performing arts building. In all settings, a music collection will need
appropriate facilities that allow, e.g., of shelving of large format scores; access to knowledgeable
reference service for users of the collection; budget, server space and authentication provisions for
access to music collection media. As in other areas of academic library services, the music collection and
services will be most effective when provided in close consultation with music faculty, students, staff,
and (ideally) community users.
Career Development and Services Committee
Music librarians possess specialized knowledge and skills that generalist librarians do not, and that allow
music librarians to offer effective service to users of music materials.
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Music librarians can read and understand music notation, and they are familiar with music
terminology, such as tempo and dynamic markings and names of instruments in various languages.
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Music librarians possess broad knowledge of the various styles and genres of art and popular
music, as well as awareness of folk or ethnic music.
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Music librarians are generally knowledgeable of major composers and their works.
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Music librarians maintain awareness of important performers, past and present.
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Music librarians also maintain awareness of emerging composers, musical styles, and other
developments in the music world.
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Music librarians are familiar with important music publishers and recording studios.
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Music librarians are familiar with the various print and recorded formats in which music is
published and produced, and they know how to properly care for these formats.
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Music librarians understand how performers use printed music (knowing the difference
between a performing or study edition; critical and scholarly editions; what makes a good edition; which
formats are important to which group of users; etc.; knowing which scores to bind and which not to
bind).