Guidelines for Music

Table of Contents

1. Purpose
2. General Collection Guidelines
    A. Language
    B. Chronology
    C. Geography
    D. Publication Date
    E. Treatment of Subject
    F. Types of Materials and Formats
3. Area Resources
4. Subjects and Collecting Levels
5. Methodology

---

1. Purpose.

To support teaching and research through the Master's level. The primary goal of the program is to produce a collaborative effort between the students and the faculty that will enable the students to reach their professional and artistic potential. As a result, the curriculum is flexible, particularly on the graduate level, allowing for individual expertise and aspirations. Naturally, the performance aspect is of great importance.

The areas emphasized are applied music, which includes solo performance and conducting, music composition, music education, piano pedagogy, opera, and jazz. The Department of Music offers Master's degrees in all of these areas.

2. General Collection Guidelines.

A. Language.
English is preferred, but primary and secondary sources of writings on music in Western European languages (e.g. French, German, Italian) are collected when English-language translations are not available. Scores of vocal music are almost always purchased in the original language, and preference is given to those editions accompanied by a translation into English.

B. Chronology.
None.

C. Geography.
Collecting efforts focus primarily on the music and music-related literature of Europe and the United States, with some attention given to representative works of and about music from other areas (e.g. Canada, Latin America).

D. Publication Date.
In general, monographic works with a publication date previous to 1900 are not acquired.

E. Treatment of Subject.
Although the Department of Music is primarily composition- and performance-oriented, a growing interest in music history, specifically ethnomusicology, is reflected in the library's materials selection. A minimal collection of rock, popular, and western folk music, and a growing collection of nonwestern music, is maintained. Some musical scores and textbooks for children are purchased and are usually housed in the Cabell Learning Resource Center.

F. Types of Materials and Formats.
Books, journals, scores, sound recordings, compact discs, and performance videos are actively collected. This includes dictionaries and encyclopedias, bibliographies, and discographies. Particular attention is given to the acquisition of ongoing and retrospective composers' collected editions of scores. Supportive material of an historical nature for practice and performance is also acquired, as are selected retrospective and current monographs on music history. An approval plan ensures the regular receipt of contemporary scores.

In collecting scores, full scores are preferable to parts or piano reductions, with the exception of operas, as are full-size scores to miniature. More than one edition of a score may be acquired for comparative purposes. Finally, ULS functions as a library of record rather than a performance library, and performers or the Department of Music are expected to purchase scores necessary for rehearsal and performance.

Unless the situation proves exceptional, ozalid scores are not purchased nor accepted on the approval program unless it is only the parts, and not the full score, that have been printed using that method. At present, facsimile editions are not being acquired. Microform editions of primary source materials may be purchased if the original title is not available. 78 rpm sound recordings of marked historical value are acceptable, despite equipment constraints.

3. Area Resources.

VCU is a member of the Richmond Area Film/Video Cooperative, which provides access to area members' film and video holdings. In addition, the Richmond Public Library holds a collection of musical scores, compact discs, sound recordings - particularly in the area of popular music - and music literature which is available to VCU students and faculty.

4. Subjects and Collecting Levels.

Subject	Call Number Range	Present	Desired
Applied Music	M6-175; M177-986; M1000-1075; M1100-1160;M1200-1270; M1350-1353; M1366; M1470-1480; M1490; M1495-1626; M1999-2199; MT70-89; ML159-3795 [excl. ML525-544; 1300-1354; 3400-3465; 3545-3775]; ML35-158	C2	C1
Music Composition	MT40-67;MT68;ML3800-3923	C2	C1
Music Education	MT825-850; MT728; MT730; MT733-737.6;MT740-810; MT820-949	C2	C1
Piano Pedagogy	MT220-255	C1	C1
Opera	M1500-1527.8	C2	C1

5. Methodology.

Collection centered: List-checking, using samplings from:

Reference catalogues (e.g. Harrassowitz' Composers Collected Editions from Europe, 5th rev. ed., 1989).

Music Library Association. A Basic Music Library: Essential Scores and Books. 2nd ed. (Chicago: ALA, 1983).

Duckles, Vincent H. Music REference and Research Materials: an Annotated Bibliography. 3rd ed. (New York: Free Press, 1974).

Books for College Libraries, 3rd ed., vol. 1. (Chicago: ALA, 1988).

Books on Music. (s.l.: Texas Christian University, 1979).

A Basic Music Library. (Washington, D.C.: NASM, 1970).