Mendel Music Library - Collections
Mendel Music Library

Today's Hours
- 8:30am - 12:00am
For summer, holidays or recess hours, please consult the full schedule.
Contact Us
Special Collections
Special collections held in the Mendel Music Library, Special Collections (Firestone Library), or ReCAP:
- Fred D. Valva Collection of Silent Film and Vaudeville Theatre Orchestra Music: The working vaudeville theatre and silent film orchestra library assembled by Fred D. Valva (1878-1933) of Worcester, Massachusetts (143 archival boxes). For more information, see the catalog description.
- Allison Delarue Collection (19th-Century Ballet)
- Arthur Mendel Papers, 1937-1981
- James S. Hall Collection of George Frideric Handel, 1714-1968 (see also:The Hall Handel Collection article by J. Merrill Knapp, The Princeton University Library Chronicle, vol. 36, no. 1, Autumn 1974)
- Ludwig Landshoff Papers, 1909-1941
- Music Manuscripts (PDF) in the Manuscripts Division of Special Collections and The Scheide Library(as of 2002)
- "Old Nassau" Sheet Music: and audio clips (with "The Orange and the Black" and "The Princeton Cannon Song")
- Princeton Music Collection: Various songbooks printed for Princeton University, including a nearly complete series of the Carmina Princetonia. Held in Special Collections.
- William Oliver Strunk Collection : (see also: About the Oliver Strunk Collection at Princeton)
- Cotsen Children's Library Diana R. Tillson collection of children's sheet music (1796-1986): The collection contains more than 3,800 pieces of sheet music for children, composed from 1796-1986, in 53 archival boxes.
- Cotsen Children's Library Diana R. Tillson collection of children's recorded music (1920-1986): The collection contains more than 600 phonographic records of children's music, recorded from 1920 to 1986.
- Cotsen Children's Library Diana R. Tillson collection of musical manuscripts and papers (1712 – 1941): Includes 14 volumes and letters of manuscript sheet music, lyrics, and songs.
- Cotsen Children's Library Diana R. Tillson collection of musical instruments and musical toys, games, and dolls: Consists of 52 boxes of toy musical instruments, instruments for children, and music-related toys, games, and dolls.
Microfilm Collections
Our microfilm collections are housed either in the Mendel Music Library or in the ReCAP remote storage facility. Links to catalog entries and finding aids are provided where available. Materials stored at ReCAP may be requested via their entry in the library's main catalog and will then be available at the music library within 1-3 days.
Please note that Mendel staff is currently working to prepare accurate catalog records for Mendel's entire microfilm collection. Below you will find links to various finding aids that have previously been used to organize these collections, but please note that information on these lists may no longer be completely accurate. We are offering these tools as provisional paths to locating these materials during this project.