Music Library Holdings

Printed materials (books, periodicals, printed music) 142,979 volumes

Sound recordings (CDs, LPs and 78 rpm recordings) : 62,768 albums

Video recordings: 1,231 tapes and discs.

The Music Library contains a collection of printed music, sound and visual recordings, and writings about music and dance. We also provide access to databases and electronic resources supporting music and dance research. The collection reflects the research and performance interests of the Music and Dance Department faculty and students.

Our principal strength lies in our broad and deep collection for the study of Western art music. This includes extensive holdings on early music performance practice, with a special focus on historical keyboard instruments. This collection encompasses literature on performance practice, numerous early-instrument recordings, microfilms, scholarly editions, rare source materials in the Rare Book Room (Music Locked Press) and scholarly facsimiles in the Music Special Collections. We have also developed substantial holdings in American musical theater and opera. In addition, we collect heavily in twentieth and twenty-first century music of Europe and the United States, including electronic music, and music by Cornell composition alumnae.

We hold substantial collections of world music, with strengths in Indonesian music, African field recordings, Brazilian popular and folk music, and Middle Eastern music. We have substantial holdings in blues, rhythm & blues, boogie-woogie, and jazz, supporting undergraduate teaching in these areas. In addition, we hold extensive runs of Folkways and Smithsonian Folkways recordings. (See the New and Notable CD/DVD list for more details on recent audiovisual acquisitions.)

We strive to be responsive to the needs of the research and teaching conducted by Music Department faculty and graduate students, and by faculty outside the Music Department who need to draw on music resources. For questions relating to music library holdings, please contact Bonna Boettcher (scores, books, periodicals, databases) or Jim Alberts (sound recordings, video resources).

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Updated: 3 Jan. 2006