This guide was developed by Emily Maher and Kristin Wolski. It is a living browsing guide and will continue to undergo developments.
Welcome to the Browsing for Music Materials Guide!
In making this guide, our intention is for music performers and researchers to quickly obtain knowledge about where to access music scores and literature related to a particular area of study. We hope this resource will guide you to quickly access call number areas of interest in the Music Library.
The information in these guides is not all-encompassing, which means not every ensemble type or literature topic is represented — you will need to search the Discover catalog for specific title and subject inquiries or access our Overview on Library of Congress Call Numbers for Music guide.
Each resource has its own call number similar to an address for the book or score. Items are cataloged with a classification system created by the Library of Congress to organize print resources. The remaining parts of the call number indicate specific information about the item, which also helps with browsing for materials directly on the library shelves, also known as the "stacks."
The table below demonstrates a general format of the parts of music call numbers:
| Part | What it Means |
|---|---|
| M, ML, MT | Music scores (M), Books about music (ML), Music instruction, methods, and theory (MT). |
| Classification number | Generally, the number narrows down the categories. For scores, 100s = solo music, 200s = duets, 300s = trios and so forth. Higher numbers are assigned for different ensemble types. |
| Cutter number (composer) | The first letter of the composer/author/editor, plus numbers representing the next few letters. |
| Cutter number or substitute (work) | First letter of the work's title, plus numbers representing the next few letters. These can be substituted by an opus number or what is known as a thematic index number, such as those represented in the next row, or a key. |
| Work numbers assigned by the composer or a cataloger researcher of a composer, such as Opus, Köchel, BWV, WOo, etc. | Numbers within a particular cataloging system of the composer scholar. |
| Year | Year or approximate year of publication. |
Sometimes call numbers will have extra information. For instance, additional information appears in the call number when the item consists only of parts, is an additional copy held by the library, or is a volume in a series.
Books are organized by topics and further organized by factors, like composer, era, or geographic markers. The example below is the call number for a biographical book about Schubert during a specific time in his life:
| Call Number Structure | What it Means |
|---|---|
| ML | Music Literature |
| 410 | Composer biography |
| .S3 | Composer identification (Franz Schubert) |
| G56 | Subtopic |
| 2014 | Date of publication |
Note: call numbers are also written out horizontally: ML410.S3 G56 2014. They appear this way in the online catalog.
Scores are organized by several factors, such as the type of instrumentation or voice type, the form/genre of the music, as well as the number of instruments (solo vs ensemble). Scores are further classified by composer and title. Some music score call numbers contain additional information, such as the key of the piece, opus information, series numbering, the year it was published, or whether the item is a collection of "parts" without a score. Below is an example of a score and its call number:
| Call Number Structure | What it Means |
|---|---|
| M | Music Scores |
| 287 | Duets for two stringed instruments |
| .M39 | First letter of the composer's last name is M |
| op.70 | Opus number |
| 1900z | Composed around 1900: "z" indicates an approximate date |
| parts | Item is parts only; score is not included |
Sometimes call numbers have the copy numbers included if our library holds more than one copy. This is indicated by the letter "c" followed by a period and number, such as "c.1" for copy one and "c.2" for copy two and so forth.
The reference section holds items such as encyclopedias, dictionaries (general and specific to composer and topic), thematic catalogs, and indexes of music literature and periodicals. The catalog record will let you know if a book is shelved in the reference section. Reference materials are for library use only.
Important to Note: The library subscribes to a plethora of online resources. We have more resources that can be found online in databases and in the online catalog, such as ebooks, online journal articles, and streaming music and video music performances.
Bound print journals contain articles within issues that are published according to a specific, recurring schedule. Individual issues are bound into volumes. Onsite print journals/periodicals are for library use only but ones located in remote storage are available to check out. More journal articles are found online through the electronic databases. Some electronic journals are only available for specific date ranges, so you might need to consult the bound journals section to find articles only available in print.
The Music Library holds a wide range of score types, including performance editions and scholarly editions of complete works. Please note that some scores are located in the Oversize score collection and others are in remote, off-site storage. If a score is oversize or in remote storage, this is indicated in the online catalog in the location section. Ask the Music Service Desk if you are having trouble locating a score.
The ML section contains books about music topics and composer biographies.
This section contains resources on music instruction and studies, such as method books, pedagogical materials, and music theory.
The Music Library has a vast collection of rare, archival resources. These are located in closed collections, but users can request access to view these materials. Some music special collection books and scores are found in the Discover catalog and will have information under Availability indicating it is a music special collections item and an option to request access. Locate specific collections in the Finding Aids, and follow directions on these pages for making a request. Requesters will be contacted when items are ready to view, which will occur in the Edna Mae Sandborn Music Reading Room, pictured below.
The Music Library has hundreds of thousands of recordings in CD and vinyl record formats. These are located in closed collections, but we keep our newest purchases of CDs and vinyl onsite. Request these items in the Discover catalog for pick up at the music service desk. The Music Library has external disk drives available for checkout, as well as a location to listen to records and CDs onsite. Ask the Music Library Service Desk if you want to listen to audio onsite.
