Guide to Developing a Library Music Collection

Although music may be the most widely experienced and appreciated of the arts, its technical language renders it one of the most obscure when it is to be written down, described, analyzed, and cataloged. In addition, the peculiarities of music publishing formats, their sources of supply and acquisition, and of binding, shelving, circulation, and cataloging, mean that knowledge beyond the usual book–journal orbits is required of librarians charged with building music collections. This Guide to Developing a Library Music Collection is intended to assist librarians who are new to music collection development, and who want some tips on how to get started.

The Guide includes a survey of music in libraries, beginning with European antecedents, the emergence of music collections in the United States in the 20th century, and of the types of music collections in existence in the U.S. today. Similarly, a survey of music study and scholarship is presented from their European beginnings, through the growth of academic music programs in the US following World War II, and the types of programs that library resources support today.

The four primary music publishing formats (printed and recorded music, books, and periodicals) are described, with sources of information for keeping current with new publications in each, including printed and online notification services, and reviewing media. Resources for retrospective collection evaluation and building are also described.

A chapter on "Selection Strategies" discusses types of selection tools, collection-building objectives, approval plans, collection-development policies for music, ways to keep current with goings-on in the music world, and the sometimes bewildering array of decisions that the selector often faces when choosing whether to add a new publication.

Music associations and societies (for music scholars as well as for librarians) are listed, with descriptions of their principal publications, awards, and prizes. Non-society awards programs for composers, compositions, commissions, and recordings are also described.

Finally, a "Getting Help" chapter covers major online music reference, selection, and acquisition sources, electronic-discussion lists, and print resources useful to music-collection librarians.