January 1994
Music Library, 14E-109
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
Forrest Larson, 617-253-5689
Circulation and Reserves Assistant
Christina Moore, 617-253-5689
Sr. Assistant & Processing Assistant
Peter Munstedt, 617-253-5636
Music Librarian
In the past, a newsletter aptly named "MIT Music Library Newsletter" had been issued for several years. Now we'd like to restore this tradition by updating you with the latest developments in the Music Library. What's the Score? will be published twice a year at the beginning of the Spring and Fall semesters. Let us know what you think. Please keep complaints short and make compliments as long as you'd like.
NEW ACQUISITIONS
In the past, faculty and staff were notified when the library received new materials in their particular areas of expertise. The following list will take the place of these mailings, and enable us to reach a wider audience through this newsletter. Not every item received in the past few months is listed, but we have included titles which reflect the wide range of musical topics found here.
TAKE A LOOK (AND LISTEN)
Room 5 has been gloriously transformed from a room of reel-to-reel
players (remember them? you do? you're old!) to a viewing room for
videos and laser discs. Thanks to the generosity of the Class of
1982, this room was renovated to accommodate 2 VCRs and 2 laser disc
players on individual carrels. Come take a look and please sample a
laser disc. We've been collecting laser discs since last year, and we
have about 30 titles, mostly operas.
TAKE NOTIS
The MIT Libraries will switch from its present GEAC system to NOTIS
for library operational systems dealing with acquisitions, cataloging,
circulation, and the online catalog. Sounds like something that only
librarians could get excited about, right? Well, you should be
interested to know that you'll be seeing a new online catalog with a
much different format than CD-Barton. The entire switch-over is
expected this summer. We'll be busy giving instructions this fall.
Stay tuned for further developments.
SPACE REPORT
Spaceship Discovery has completed a successful ... oops -- wrong report. This past June, the library sent all of our journals, except for the past five years, to remote storage. Because of space shortages, another major move of books and/or scores will be coming in the near future. We have put forth a proposal for a major renovation that requests 50% more shelving and improved listening and study space.
A-MUSE YOURSELF
This past fall, we installed the MUSE CD-ROM which is the equivalent of RILM Abstracts. Now rather than having to page through volume after volume of this index, you can search topics in just seconds with this CD-ROM. MUSE includes RILM Abstracts from 1970-1987 as well as the Library Congress music holdings from 1981-1992. MUSE is available on one of the online catalogs in the Music Library. Please try it out. It's quite expensive, so as they used to say, "use it or lose it."
KRANK KASE
Each April 1st we mourn the birth of that little-known, eccentric American composer, Johann Nepomuk Krank. Known for his particular style of ineptitude, Krank became one of the few composers to receive commissions not to compose music. Look for our tribute to this unique composer in the library's display case this April.
GRANT US A WISH
This fall, the Music Library received a grant of $1,500 from the Council for the Arts for the purpose of supplementing our world music collection. As part of this grant, a concert of world music was presented on December 9th by classes of George Ruckert and Evan Ziporyn. Look for an influx of world music books and recordings this spring.
REPORT FROM UROP
Erin McCoy, a music major, has been awarded a UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program) for work in the Music Library. Erin will process and analyze 1,000 LP recordings donated to the library by faculty member, John Oliver. This work will help to expand our recording collection and assist in future acquisition decisions.
RECENT DONATIONS
Most notable among recent donations was The Complete Works of
Stephen Foster given to us by the Quincy Public Library. A donation
from Peter J. Wender allowed the library to purchase Handel's
Librettos, 13 volumes, Garland Publishing, edited by Ellen Harris,
Associate Provost for the Arts. John Oliver generously donated 1,000
LP recordings (see UROP above.) If you or someone you know has
donations of music books, scores, recordings, money, etc., please let
us know (a little begging never hurt any library). Contributors
since last July include:
Marylene Altieri MIT Press
Council for the Arts at MIT Peter Munstedt
Dallas Symphony Orchestra John Oliver
Paul Earls Evelyn Perez
Keith Glavash Quincy Public Library
Douglas S. Kalika George Ruckert
Lowell Lindgren Warren Seamans
Peter D. Matthews Peter J. Wender
Martin Marks Sheila E. Widnall
Margo Miller Marek Zebrowski
Evan Ziporyn
Endowed Funds include:
Frank Cilley
Arthur Elson
John N. Pierce
THANK YOU!
HEARD AT THE REFERENCE DESK
Q - Do you have a recording of Taco Bell's Canon?
A - For here or to go?