In 1992, the Class of 1982 designated the Lewis Music Library as a recipient for their ten-year gift. A fund was established to help the Lewis Music Library obtain services or materials not otherwise available. This fund has been of great benefit to the library over the years. In almost every corner of the library, the positive influence of the Class of 1982 touches our users and enhances their library experience.

2012: MediaMobile

Class of 1982 funding supported the purchase of a movable cart that will become the “MediaMobile” which will travel across campus to highlight the library’s many online media materials. It is being equipped with a large monitor and audio speakers so that students and faculty can see demonstrations of streaming audio and video products, full-text books, and bibliographic databases. The MediaMobile will also be available to other MIT librarians so that online information in a variety of subjects can be shared with the MIT community.

2012: Scanning Medieval Chant Leaves

The Class of 1982 Fund allowed us to scan 29 sheets from a Spanish chant manuscript written on animal skin and probably compiled in several stages between 1400 and 1650. The sheets were generously donated to the MIT Libraries by Constance Kantar, whose father, Samuel Glaser ’25, was the previous owner. Students in Professor Michael Cuthbert’s Early Music seminar examined, translated, and re-indexed the the leaves along with digital images of 13 other folios held privately in Boston and throughout the world. Their findings were documented on a web site, Glaser Codex Research at MIT.

2012: Larger Flat Screen

The Class of 1982 Fund provided a new and much larger TV monitor for the library’s group viewing room. This screen brings performances to life for our students.

2011: Concert

The fund helped sponsor a concert, Musical Paintings: Jean-Philippe Rameau and 18th-Century Life performed by Jean Rife, harpsichord with commentary by Teresa Neff.

2010: iPad

An iPad was purchased and loaded with over 85 music apps along with the iTunes library holding over 3,000 sample tracks and video clips from the library’s recently-received CDs and DVDs. It circulates for 4 hours to MIT faculty, students and staff.

2009: Mezzanine Study Tables

Four listening carrels were removed from the mezzanine and four 4′ x 8′ study tables were installed in summer 2009. iMac computers and software such as Sibelius 6, Finale 2008, and Max/MSP were provided by Music and Theater Arts.

2009: Peak LE6 Audio Software

Peak LE6 audio software was installed on a workstation in the library so that MIT community users can convert LP records or cassette tapes to digital format.

2009: Filming of March 3 Library Event

On March 3, 2009, a talk entitled “enChanting Musical Artifacts in Unlikely Places: Rare Resources in MIT’s Lewis Music Library” was filmed by MIT’s Academic Media Production Services (AMPS). Watch a video of the presentation.

Above: Michael Cuthbert (left) and Nancy Schrock (right) show an early music manuscript and books to audience members after the lecture. Photos: Christie Moore

2007: Carl Nielsen Works

In summer 2007, the library placed an order for the first 23 available volumes of the complete works of Carl Nielsen which faculty had requested. A standing order was then placed for subsequent volumes published.

2007: LP Shelving Conversion

In June 2007, in order to make space for CDs and DVDs, the remaining 9,500 LP records were sent to the Library Storage Annex, joining the 2,500 already there. The shelves were converted to DVD and CD spacing, adding many more shelves and much-needed room for growth.

2006/2007: Tech Show LP conversion

Several LP records of the Tech Show dating from 1949-1963 are being reformatted to CD.

2005: iPods

The library purchased five iPods, lightweight headphones, and two computer hard drives. Each iPod was loaded with over 500 tracks of music, one from each of the library’s newly acquired CDs. The iPods and headphones will circulate overnight to MIT students, faculty or staff. These sample tracks will encourage our users to come in and borrow the CDs of music they find interesting. Playlists on each iPod contain new CDs received from Spring 2004 on. Additional playlists will include “top ten” recommendations from the collection as suggested by faculty members, staff, and interested library users.

2004: LCD flat screen monitor

A large LCD flat screen monitor was purchased for the library’s group listening/viewing room to replace an outdated monitor. The new screen provides a vastly improved viewing experience for watching DVDs and videos.

2004: Oral History tape-t0-CD conversion

The Music at MIT Oral History Project produced interviews on DAT tapes with 11 individuals since it was created in 1999. While these tapes produced excellent sound quality, DAT tape is not appropriate for long-term storage. The Class of 1982 Fund was used to reformat the entire collection of oral history tapes onto audio CD to give our users access to this rich history.

2002: MIT Banjo Club photo

A large (6 feet by 8 feet) photograph of the MIT Banjo Club from ca.1893 (see image below) was framed and mounted. The photo was obtained from the MIT Museum and now hangs outside the entrance to the Lewis Music Library.