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Music Cataloging

Guidelines for Determining Formats of Printed Materials with Music


All items in the M-ML-MT classification range go to MUS (the official location for the Scheide Music Library) if not specifically indicated otherwise. In particular, the Firestone stacks should no longer hold anything in this range, and no more such material should be cataloged for F.

All printed music items (scores, sheet music, whatchamcallit) are to be cataloged by the music cataloger, in the M or MT range. Such materials upon being received or discovered (see below) are to be placed on the two middle shelves behind Jeffrey Luttrell's desk (the two shelves below the blue paperback New Grove). These shelves are labeled. Items with LC copy go on the upper shelf; items with member or no copy go on the lower shelf.


Locations

M
ML
MT
Added volumes

Classification
Decisions

Books about Music
Collections of music

     Prefatory material
     Surrounding annotations

Thematic catalogs
Facsimiles
Method books

M

M is used for printed music itself, from lead sheets and songbooks to full orchestral scores. Any music-related item consisting chiefly of notated music that could conceivably be performed off the page would be a candidate for M. It's easy to be misled, however, by the following sorts of items:
  1. books about music with extensive musical examples (sometimes in a separate volume!) In general, if the musical examples are not of complete performable pieces--e.g. extended quotations, transcriptions of recordings--the item will count as a plain old book about music rather than as a collection of printed music, and should be classified appropriately, usually in ML or MT.
  2. collections of music with extensive prefatory material. Such collections often have titles that call attention to the collection itself rather to the subject-matter of the research surrounding it. The prefatory material will generally be chiefly bibliographical or biographical in nature, and will not take up more than the first third of the book (first half for shorter books) Finally, the collection will consist of performable pieces as a rule.
  3. folksong anthologies, chant books and other collections of self-contained single-line tunes with extensive surrounding annotations. If the tunes and their texts and/or annotations take up the greater part of the book, these will generally be considered music rather than books on music. However, if the tunes are not complete or there are no tunes, the book is to be considered as a collection of texts and classified in the appropriate range. This also applies to librettos.
  4. thematic catalogs. These consist of numerous fragments (usually 2-4 opening bars) of melodies embedded in bibliographical material. These are not counted as printed music, but as plain old books about music.
  5. facsimiles of medieval manuscripts, usually liturgical, in neumatic notation. There should be an indication that this is indeed a facsimile of a musical manuscript in the surrounding material, even if there just seems to be a lot of squiggles under the words. [See example at right]. If in doubt, ask the Music Cataloger.
  6. instrumental or vocal method books and studies. Generally self-evident from the title page. These count as printed music, though they go in the MT range.

ML

ML is used for books about music (biographies, histories, reference works, etc.) These should be incorporated into your regular workflow. A minor exception may be made for items in the ML410-ML429 range, as already directed in ML410-ML429.

MT

MT is used for how-to books. Theory and music-appreciation textbooks (up to MT 170) are again to be treated like a plain old book, however extensive the musical examples. For instrumental and vocal methods (MT 175-end) see above; but if it looks like a plain old book treat it like a plain old book.

Added volumes

Added volumes, printed or recorded, are treated like other added volumes. There is a specially labeled shelf for them.
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