Understanding Music Call Numbers
in Cook Library
Reference Department
Albert S. Cook Library
General Location Information
VICTORweb, the online catalog, lists materials available in the Cook Library as well as
other libraries in the University System of Maryland. VICTORweb can be searched by
TITLE, NAME, or KEYWORD. Books and other materials in the USM system and most
academic libraries are cataloged according to the Library of Congress Classification
System and are assigned Library of Congress Subject Headings. Every item in
VICTORweb has a Library of Congress call number. An example of a music call number
is “ML 111.M65.”
All circulating print materials have a location code of “STACKS” and are shelved on the 4th
floor of the Cook Library. Print Faculty Reserve items are kept at the 3rd floor Circulation
Desk. All non-print materials (CD’s, videos, LP’s) as well as Media Faculty Reserve are
in the 2nd floor Media Resource Center. Journals/serials are on the 2nd floor in the
Periodicals room and stack area. Items marked “QUARTO” are oversized books and are
shelved at the very beginning of the section. The regular “M” section follows after these
Quartos. “FOLIO” items are unique in size and shelved to the right entering the 4th floor
stack area.
Music Subgroups
Print Resources include musical scores, libretti, sheet music, songbooks, composer
biographies, and books on musical technique. These items are divided into three major
categories:
M = Musical Scores
ML = Literature on Music
MT = Musical instruction and study
The “M” area is shelved first in the STACKS, followed by “ML” and “MT”.
To find an item once you have a call number from VICTORweb, go to the category listed
above that corresponds to your call number. Within the correct lettered section, look for the
numbers that match the beginning of your call numbers. The number immediately following any
of the “M” letters is the subject number. The numbers will run in sequential order within each
of the three categories noted above. Once you find the correct number area, look at the letters
and numbers found after the decimal point. In the “M” section, the first set notes the
composer’s name. When looking in the “M” section, this part of the call number can be a little
tricky so make sure that you look closely at the numbers that occur after the letters. The
second set notes the first word of the title of the work. In the “ML” and “MT” sections, after the
subject number, there will be a letter and number for the specific topic within that subject,
followed by another set for the author of the work. Some call numbers may also have the
publication year or edition year added at the end of the call number for greater specificity.
Sample Entry for a Musical Score:
M
127
H4R6
Henze, Hans Werner
Royal Winter Music
Analysis:
Musical
Score
→M
Henze, Hans Werner
127
Composer’s
last name “H4”
←
Format – in
this case, solo
guitar
→H4R6
↑
←
Composer
Royal Winter Music
↑
First word of title
of work “R6”
Title
of work
Sample Entry for Music Literature:
ML
410
G9.B413
Benestad, Finn
Edvard Grieg: The Man and the Artist
Analysis:
Music
Literature
→ ML
Benestad, Finn
410
Subject of
biography is
Grieg
←
←
Author
Subject –
composer
biography
Edvard Grieg: The Man and the Artist
→ G9.B413
↑
Author’s last
name
↑
Title of book
For research help on this or any other research project, contact a reference
librarian in person at the Cook Library Reference Desk, by phone at (410) 7042462, or via e-mail at http://cooklibrary.towson.edu under Services for Students.
Albert S. Cook Library, Towson University
07/02 lw understanding music call.doc