Music : a Guide to the Collection

About the Library's Music Collection | Finding Books | Finding Scores | Finding Songs | Finding Compact Discs | Finding Videos & DVDs

About the Library's Music Collection

The Main Library has a large collection of music resources, including books, songbooks, printed scores, compact discs, VHS videocassettes, and DVDs, located in the Fine Arts and Recreation Department, on the 2nd Floor. We also have a selection of periodicals about music and the music industry, shelved in the Periodicals Department (Basement level).

Music Collection Highlights

The Basic Repertoire: Classical music core collection on CD
http://jpl.coj.net/coll/musicref/basicrepertoire.html

Center Stage: Opera on DVD in the Library's collection
http://jpl.coj.net/coll/musicref/opera_dvds.html

Delius Collection: Resources relating to composer Frederick Delius
jpl.coj.net/coll/delius/index.html

Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra: Concert repertoire available at the Library
http://jpl.coj.net/coll/jso/jso.html

Pulitzer Prize for Music: Prize-winning music in the Library's collection
http://jpl.coj.net/lib/awards/pulmusic.html

Finding Books

As with other subject areas, the library's books about music and musicians are cataloged and shelved according to the Dewey Decimal system. Reference books, which are reserved for in-library use, are shelved separately from books that may be checked out.

The Dewey Decimal system provides that books with similar subject matter will be shelved together, but complete consistency is not always possible because of revisions to the classification scheme. The following shows the basic organization of books about music, with earlier classification numbers indicated in italics.

When searching in JAXCAT you may select Book under Limit by material type.

Finding Scores

The Library maintains a collection of classical score materials, including both study and performing editions. They are cataloged using the Library of Congress classification system, which organizes them primarily by performance medium (e.g., solo piano, string quartet, full orchestra, chorus).

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION OUTLINE--CLASS M "Music" (PDF file, 72KB)

When searching in JAXCAT you may select Circulating musical score or Non-circulating musical score under Limit by material type.

Finding Songs

The Fine Arts Department maintains a title index of all songs included in the Main Library's collection of over 1,100 reference songbooks.

We also have a circulating songbook collection, including popular music, jazz standards, and selections from the musical theater. Although these appear in the catalog with Dewey classification numbers, they are shelved separately from books about music, and are located adjacent to the classical score materials.

Lyrics on the Internet

Google Directory: Lyrics
http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Music/Lyrics/

Categorized directory of websites that quote song lyrics. Within each category it is possible to sort the sites in "PageRank order" (i.e., by popularity) or in alphabetical order.

Yahoo! Entertainment Directory: Music Lyrics
http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Music/Lyrics/

Categorized directory of websites that quote song lyrics.

Finding Compact Discs

The Music CD collection is organized into two main sections, the first for classical composers, and the second for music categories.

Classical Composers

This section is for recordings that feature the works of one or two composers. The recordings are arranged alphabetically by the last name of the composer, or by the last name of the first composer on the CD if there are two.

Music Categories

For anthologies with works by three or more classical composers, and for all other types of music (e.g., jazz, musicals, popular, etc.), the CDs are assigned to an appropriate category, and the categories are arranged in alphabetical order. The categories include:

Within each category the CDs are shelved in alphabetical order by the name of the principal performer or group, or by title if there is no principal performer. MOVIE soundtracks and theatrical MUSICALS are shelved by title.

When searching in JAXCAT you may select Music CD under Limit by material type. Note that the Main Library does not collect music on audiocassette.

Finding Videos & DVDs

Movie musicals are shelved among the fiction DVDs, under the MUSICALS category. Operas, operettas, and documentaries or other educational videos about music are shelved among the nonfiction books, by Dewey classification number, as outlined above.

For a complete listing of the library's opera holdings on DVD, see Center Stage (http://jpl.coj.net/coll/musicref/opera_dvds.html.

When searching in JAXCAT you may choose to limit by material type (i.e., DVD or Videocassette). If you want your search to include all videorecordings regardless of format, use the default "Any Type," and include the keyword VIDEORECORDING along with your other keywords.