The Music Library has collections throughout the 4th floor of the Willis Library that are organized into categories according to the Library of Congress classification system. The physical collections below at the UNT Music Library are most relevant to your research project. Each area is labeled with signage indicating the particular types of books in that section. If you need help finding an area, do not hesitate to ask the music service desk.
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.
The ML section contains books about music topics and composer biographies.
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.
The Music Library preserves a wide range of score types, including performance editions and scholarly editions of complete works.
Each resource has its own call number, which is similar to an address for the book. Beyond this, looking at the anatomy of the call number indicates specific information about the item. The example below is a biographical book about Schubert during a specific time in his life:
| ML | Music Literature |
| 410 | Composer biography |
| .S3 | Composer identification (Franz Schubert) |
| G56 | Secondary topic |
| 2014 | Date of publication |
Call numbers are also written out horizontally: ML410.S3 G56 2014
A full list of music call numbers and their corresponding topics can be located on the Library of Congress Classification Outline, if you are curious to look at the full list. For your class project, the following areas should be most helpful:
| M180-298 | Duets |
| M300-386 | Trios |
| M400-486 | Quartets |
| M500-M86 | Quintets |
| M600-686 | Sextets |
| ML100-109 | Dictionaries and encyclopedias of music |
| ML105-107 | Dictionaries and encyclopedia, bio-bibliographical |
| ML128 | Bibliographies organized by topic |
| ML134 | Bibliographies organized by composer |
| ML159-3785 | Music history and criticism |
| ML385-429 | Biography |
| ML410 | Biographies on composers, organized alphabetically |
| MT90-145 | Analytical guide |
Source consulted:
Green, Alan, and Michael J. Duffy. 2013. Basic music reference: a guide for non-specialist librarians, library assistants, and student employees. Middleton, Wis: Co-published by Music Library Association and A-R Editions.
Before you head to the library shelves, be sure to check the catalog record for the item's location, call number, and availability. Reference items will need to be used in the library:
