Music Library
Music Listening Equipment
Dewey Classification for Music
Finding guides for music materials

ABOUT THE MUSIC LIBRARY

The Music Library, located on the top floor of the Livingston Library, contains books about music related subjects, music related periodicals, music scores, and a small collection of 12 in. vinyl sound recordings. Other music related materials such as CD's, videotapes, DVD's, cassette tapes, and other 12 in. vinyl sound recordings may be requested at the library's circulation desk which is located on the main floor of the library.

The Shorter library catalog provides call number information for most music related library materials. If you cannot find the music materials you need in the online catalog, consult the manual card catalog which is located in the Music Library. This manual card catalog contains call number and cataloging information for older sound recordings (12 in. vinyl discs) and old music scores.

The manual catalog is arranged principally by composer's last name. The manual card catalog is divided into three parts:

• Sound Recordings
• Music Scores
• Song Literature - Recordings - This part of the manual card catalog is updated as new recordings of classical song literature are received in the library.

The cards in this portion of the manual card catalog are arranged by composer's last and first name only. There is no access by title or subject. Each card in the song literature portion of the manual card catalog includes the composer's last and first name, title of song, sound recording call number, and the singer's and accompanist's name.

Students are welcomed and encouraged to consult with the music librarian, Mr. John Rivest, for their music research needs. The music librarian's office hours are posted on his office door at the beginning of each semester. His office is located adjacent to the Music Library. You may contact the music librarian via phone (706/233-7333), e-mail jrivest@shorter.edu, or campus mail (Box 2100).

MUSIC LISTENING EQUIPMENT

The music library is equipped with a number of compact disc players, turntables, cassette players, dubbing equipment, and a computerized CD burner. Please handle this equipment with care and report any malfunctioning equipment to the music librarian.

Both blank cassette tapes and recordable compact discs may be purchased at the circulation desk on the main floor. Blank cassette tapes cost fifty cents each; blank recordable compact discs cost $1.00 each.

DEWEY CLASSIFICATION FOR MUSIC

The following is an outline of the Dewey Classification System for the subject areas of music. Please do not use this table as a substitute for the Shorter library catalog.

780 Philosophy and aesthetics

.1 Miscellany
.2 Dictionaries
.3 Special topics of general applicability
.4 Study, teaching, performances
.7 Scores and parts, and treatment among groups of persons
.8 Historical and geographical treatment
.9 General principles and considerations

781 Scientific principles

.2 Other basic considerations
.3 Harmony
.4 Melody and counterpoint
.5 Musical forms
.6 Composition and performance
.7 Music of ethnic groups and various specific countries and localities
.8 Other topics

782 Dramatic music and production of musical drama

.1 Opera
.8 Theater music
.9 Music for ballets, masques, pageants, pantomimes

783 Sacred music

.1 Instrumental music
.2 Liturgical and ritualistic music
.3 Oratorios
.4 Nonliturgical choral works
.5 Nonliturgical charts
.6 Songs
.7 Evangelistic music
.8 Choirs and vocal groups
.9 Hymns

784 Voice and vocal music

.1 Choruses and part songs
.2 Complete choral works
.3 Songs from one to nine parts
.4 Folks songs
.5 Popular songs
.6 Songs for specific groups and on specific subjects
.7 Other kinds of songs
.8 Collections of vocal music
.9 The voice

785 Instrumental ensembles and their music

.1 Symphonies and band music
.2 Music for orchestra with incidental vocal parts
.3 Miscellaneous music for orchestra
.4 Music for small ensembles
.5 Independent overtures for orchestra
.6 Concertos
.7 Chamber music
.8 Suites for orchestra

786 Keyboard instruments and their music

.1 Keyboard string instruments and their music
.2 Keyboard string instruments
.3 Training in and performance on keyboard string instruments
.4 Music for keyboard string instruments
.5 Organ and its music
.6 Organ
.7 Training in and performance on organ
.8 Music for organ
.9 Other keyboard instruments and their music

787 String instruments and their music

.1 Violin
.2 Viola
.3 Violoncello
.4 Other bowed string instruments
.5 Harp
.6 Guitar, mandolin, lute
.7 Banjo
.8 Zither
.9 Other plectral instruments

788 Wind instruments and their music

.1 Trumpet, cornet, bugle
.2 Trombone
.4 Horns and other brass
.5 Flute group
.6 Single-reed instruments
.7 Oboe and English horn
.8 Bassoon and heckelphone
.9 Other reed instruments

789 Percussion, mechanical, electrical instruments

.1 Membranophones
.2 Cymbals
.3 Triangle
.4 Anvil, castanets, gong, maracas, rattle
.5 Bells, carillons, chimes
.6 Other percussion instruments of definate pitch
.7 Mechnical instruments and devices
.8 Music box
.9 Electronic musical instruments and music recording

FINDING GUIDES FOR MUSIC MATERIALS

Books

Search the Shorter library catalog to locate books about music related subjects. All books located in the Music Library may be checked out for four weeks. Music reference books (those books whose call number is preceded with an "R") are shelved in the Reference Section (main floor) of the library. Reference books may not be checked out of the library.

Articles

In addition to numerous print and online multi-disciplinary indexes, the Shorter University Libraries subscribes to The Music Index, and online index specializing in providing citations to periodical articles on numerous aspects of music. The Music Index is accessible via the web from any campus location. The Music Index is not available off campus.

Music Scores

Music scores are shelved in the music scores section of the Music Library. They are arranged first by broad category (see below) and then alphabetically by composer's last name.

Sound Recordings

Compact discs and cassette tapes are shelved on the main floor of the library and must be requested at the circulation desk.

A small collection of 12 inch vinyl discs are shelved in the Music Library. This small collection consists of solo vocal song literature and solo piano literature. These recordings are arranged in call number order.

A large collection of 12 inch vinyl discs is shelved in an offsite storage facility. These recordings are available for use by submitting a request to the music librarian or other librarian on duty. Requests for recordings in this collection will be retrieved from the offsite storage facility the same day if the request is submitted before 12 noon. The recording will be available for use after 2:00 PM. Requests for recordings submitted after 12 noon will be available for use after 2:00 PM the following day. Recordings in this collection are not retrieved on Saturdays or Sundays.

Sound recordings do not circulate outside the library. They must be used in the library only.

Recital Tapes

The Music Library receives most cassette tape recordings of recitals and concerts held at Shorter University. These recordings are accessible by searching the Shorter library catalog.

Searching hints:

Search by the performer's last name and first name or by the name of the performing group.
If the recital tape you want is from a "group" recital, search the online catalog using the phrase "student recital" as a title.

You may also execute an author search using the following as a guide.

For cassette tapes recorded during/since the academic year 1993-1994 Use "Shorter College. School of the Arts. Music Department"

For cassette tapes recorded during the academic years 1987-1988 through 1992-1993 use "Shorter College. Division of Fine Arts. Music Department"

For cassette tapes recorded prior to the academic year 1987-1988 use "Shorter College. Music Department"

Video recordings/DVD's/Videodiscs

Video recordings/DVD's/Videodiscs are shelved on the main floor of the library and may be requested at the circulation desk. These materials do not circulate outside the library. They may be used in the library only.

Reserve Materials

Materials which faculty has placed on reserve are located at the circulation desk on the main floor of the library.

Uniform Titles

It is very important to understand the concept of "uniform titles" before searching the catalogs at Shorter College for sound recordings and music scores.

A "uniform title" provides the means for bringing together all catalog entries of a specific work when various versions (e.g., editions, languages, arrangements) of that specific work have appeared under various titles.

Uniform titles fall roughly into three categories:

Those with distinctive titles.
Generally speaking, the basis of a uniform title for a musical work that has a distinctive title is the composer's original title in the language in which it was first published.

Those in which the title is a musical form.
If the title of a composer's work includes the name of a type of composition (e.g., sonata, symphony, rondo, concerto, quartet, suite, etc.) then the English language form of the name of the composition is used for the uniform title. There are some exceptions to this rule however.

"Collected works" uniform titles.
For music scores and sound recordings which contain several like works by a composer (e.g., several sonatas, or several concertos, or all organ music) a uniform title will be devised to describe the entire group.

Examples of these three types of uniform titles are found below.

Distinctive uniform title

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750.
[Oster-Oratorium]
Bach's Easter oratorio.

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750.
[Oster-Oratorium]
Easter oratorio.

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750.
[Oster-Oratorium]
Oratorio de Paques, BWV 249.

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750.
[Oster-Oratorium]
Shorter College Chorale performs Bach's Easter Oratorio.

Note that Bach's "Oster-Oratorium" appears under several different titles. In order to gather the same work into one place in the catalog, the uniform title "Oster-Oratorium" is applied to each catalog entry.

Musical form uniform title

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750.
[Concertos, violin, string orchestra, BWV 1042]
Concerto no. 2 in E major.

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750.
[Concertos, violin, string orchestra, BWV 1042]
The E major violin and string orchestra concerto.

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750.
[Concertos, violin, string orchestra, BWV 1042]
Itzak Perlman plays Bach's E minor concerto for violin and string orchestra.

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750.
[Concertos, violin, string orchestra, BWV 1042]
Violin and string orchestra concerto no. 2.

Again note that this concerto by Bach appears under several different titles. In order to gather the same work into one place in the catalog, the uniform title "Concertos, violin, string orchestra, BWV 1042" is applied to each catalog entry.

Collected works uniform title

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1770.
[Organ music. Selections]
E. Power Biggs plays Bach's greatest hits.

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1770.
[Organ music. Selections]
Selected organ music of J.S. Bach.

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1770.
[Organ music. Selections]
Unvollendete Orgelwerke.

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1770.
[Organ music. Selections]
Bach's selected organ music played on the mighty Holtkamp.

Selections of Bach's organ music appears under several different titles. In order to gather similar entries into one place in the catalog, the uniform title "Organ music. Selections" is applied to each catalog entry.

Please feel free to ask the music librarian for additional help in understanding uniform titles or for searching the Shorter library catalog.