New Reference Title

The Music Library recently received a new reference resource:

Vazsonyi, Nicholas, ed. The Cambridge Wagner Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Call no. MUR ML410.W1 C36 2013.

This is my last post on the Music Library Blog as Music Librarian. It has been a pleasure to serve you, and I wish you all the best in the future!

New Reference Book

The Music Library recently received this reference book:

Carman, Judith E., William K. Gaeddert, and Rita M. Resch. Art Song in the United States, 1759-2011: An Annotated Bibliography, 4th ed. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2013. Call no. MUR ML128.S3 C37 2013.

Welcome Back -- New Reference Resources

Welcome back to NIU for the Fall Semester!

The Music Library recently received the following reference books:

Collins, Irma H. Dictionary of Music Education. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2013. Call no. MUR ML102.M76 C65 2013

Keillor, Eliane, Tim Archambault, and John M. H. Kelly. Encyclopedia of Native American Music of North America. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2013. Call no. MUR ML102.N37 K45 2013

Marvin, Roberta Montemorra, ed. The Cambridge Verdi Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Call no. MUR ML102.O6 C16 2013

Torres, George, ed. Encyclopedia of Latin American Popular Music. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2013. Call no. MUR ML101.L38 E53 2013

New Reference Items

The Music Library recently received two new reference resources.

The first is a critical edition, including commentary, a transcription, and a facsimile of Beethoven's "Eroica" Sketchbook, in 2 volumes, and the second is a detailed, chronologically arranged and annotated discography entitled Black Recording Artists, 1877-1926.

Beethoven, Ludwig van. Beethoven's "Eroica" Sketchbook: A Critical Edition. Transcribed, edited and with a commentary by Lewis Lockwood and Alan Gosman. 2 vol. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2013. Call no. MUR ML96.4.B4 S9 2013.

Gibbs, Craig Martin, compiler. Black Recording Artists, 1877-1926: An Annotated Discography. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2013. Call no. MUR ML156.4.B56 G53 2013.

Edward Elgar Thematic Catalogue

The Music Library recently acquired Christopher Kent's thematic catalogue of Edward Elgar's works: Edward Elgar: A Thematic Catalogue and Research Guide, 2nd ed. (New York: Routledge, 2013). In addition to the catalogue of Elgar's works, it also contains a bibliography without annotations, and an inventory of archival material on Elgar. This work is found in the Music Library Reference Collection at call no. MUR ML134.E613 K46 2013.

The reference desk at the Music Library will be open tonight from 7 to 9 for the last evening session this semester! If you have questions on your research that you need to finish before the end of the semester, tonight would be a great time to stop by the Music Library to ask for help! For more information on our reference service, see http://libguides.niu.edu/musicreferenceservice. We hope to see you tonight!

Get Help finding sources for your research paper at the Music Library tonight from 7 until 9

Are you feeling the pinch of Spring Semester deadlines? Do you need help finding sources for your research papers? The Music Library reference desk will be open from 7 until 9 this evening. Please stop by and ask a question! We can help with your information needs. To learn more about reference service, click here (http://libguides.niu.edu/musicreference), or just stop by tonight!

Music Library Reference Desk Service Resumes Today

The Music Library will resume its reference desk service today, after taking a one week hiatus for the annual meeting of the Music Library Association in Atlanta. A librarian will be at the reference desk today and Wednesday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and on Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Additionally, today is the day for our evening reference service! The reference desk will be open tonight from 7 until 9 p.m. If you are working on a research project for a class, tonight is an ideal time for you to bring it in and discuss it with a librarian, to make sure you are locating all the relevant resources for your project, and to hone your research skills.

To learn more about our reference service, click here (http://libguides.niu.edu/musicreferenceservice), or just stop by!

In-Person Reference Service to be Suspended from February 24 until March 2

Michael Duffy and Elizabeth Cribbs will both be off campus the entire week of February 24 to attend the annual meeting of the Music Library Association. As a result, in-person reference services at the Music Library will be suspended next week. You may still send e-mail to Michael Duffy at mduffyiv[at]niu[dot]edu to ask questions, or you may speak to one of our student staff members, who will refer your question for Michael to answer when he returns. Regular in-person reference services will resume on March 3. A librarian will be at the desk on March 3 for four hours, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and again from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.

The Reference Desk will be open tonight from 7-9!

Do you need help with your research projects? The Music Library reference desk will be open from 7 until 9 this evening. Please stop by and ask a question! We can help with your information needs. To learn more about reference service, click here (http://libguides.niu.edu/musicreferenceservice), or just stop by tonight!

New Reference Item: The Strad Directory 2014

The Music Library recently received the 2014 issue of The Strad Directory: Essential Reference for the String Industry. It can be found in the Music Library Reference Collection at call no. MUR ML800 .S77 2014.

Welcome Back -- We're here to help!

The Music Library opened yesterday for the Spring Semester. We will be open:

Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Saturday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Sunday from 1 p.m. until 10 p.m.

We will be closed this coming Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (January 18-20) in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Need research help? A librarian will be at the reference desk to help you:
Monday 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Tuesday 11 a.m. until 12 p.m.
Wednesday 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Thursday 11 a.m. until 12 p.m.

You can ask questions at other times too! Please go to the circulation desk in the Music Library and ask for a full time staff member.

We will also staff the reference desk on select Monday evenings this semester from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. These dates will be:
February 3
March 3
April 7
April 28

Both of our professional librarians have master's degrees in musicology and library science, are very proficient searchers, and strive to help students uncover the world of knowledge. For more information on our reference program, please see http://libguides.niu.edu/musicreferenceservice.

We wish you a happy, safe, and productive Spring Semester 2014!

MLA Style Manual, 3rd ed.

The Music Library recently received a copy of the 3rd edition of the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (by Joseph Gibaldi, [New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2008, call no. MUR PN147 .G444 2008]).

This manual is used by English and humanities scholars in a number of disciplines, and is in the Music Library reference collection for ease of access.

It retains the same basic chapter structure as the 1998 2nd edition (by Joseph Gibaldi, [New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1998]), but contains notable updates in the chapters on documentation:

All of 6.7 in the 3rd edition refers to Web publications (pp. 211-21).

The 2nd edition referred to "A Musical Composition" under 6.8.5 (p. 202), while the 3rd edition refers to the more precise term, "A Musical Score" under 6.8.5 (p. 227).

The 3rd edition adds e-mail to its section on "A Letter, A Memo, or an E-Mail Message" under 6.8.13 (pp. 231-32).

Midterm is approaching! The Library is here to help!

As we approach the middle of the Fall semester, students may find that they need help with their research projects. The Music Library offers a reference service program that can help! Whether you have difficulty thinking about or finding information sources, or you are a seasoned researcher and would like to discuss refining search strategies, our reference service is here to help you! Please feel free to ask questions, either in person, or by phone or email. See our LibGuides page on Music Reference Service for more information.

Reference Service in the Music Library

Did you know that you can ask questions in the Music Library about a multitude of topics?
Our professional librarians can help you find information such as:

Identification and location of books, scores, sheet music, recordings, and other items in the NIU Libraries, or other libraries
Translations and pronunciation guides for vocal music
Identification and location of periodical articles, online and in print
Verification of literature citations
Identification and location of quotations
Identification and location of images of manuscripts and music-related art
Contact information for living musical personalities and organizations
Identification of tunes
Proper citation styles for academic papers
Answers to questions about musical works, composers, musicians, musical instruments, and other topics
Analyses of musical works
Many other topics!

Additionally, we can show you how to use library resources.

Library users may ask questions any time the Music Library is open. There will be a librarian at the reference desk Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. If there isn't a librarian at the reference desk, simply go to the service desk and ask for help from a full-time staff member. If you have a question after 4:30 p.m. or on weekends, student assistants will refer your question to the music librarian. If you would like to ask a question by telephone, the Music Library's main number is (815) 753-1426. You can also always use NIU's Ask-A-Librarian email and chat service, available from the NIU Libraries' home page.

To find out more about Music Library reference service, see our LibGuides reference site at http://libguides.niu.edu/musicreferenceservice.

One More Reference Item

The Music Library also received the following reference item today:

Beethoven, Ludwig van. Sinfonie no. 9 op. 125: Autograph Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin -- Preussischer Kulturbesitz Beethoven-Haus Bonn Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Commentary by Lewis Lockwood, Jonathan Del Mar, and Martina Rebman. Documenta Musicologica Zweite Reihe: Handschriften-Faksimiles Band XLII. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 2010. Call no. MUR ML96.5 .B44 op. 125 2010.

New Reference Items

The Music Library recently received the following items for the reference collection:

Danuser, Hermann, and Heidy Zimmermann, eds. Avatar of Modernity: The Rite of Spring Reconsidered. London: Boosey & Hawkes, 2013. Call no. MUR ML410.S932 D36 2013.

Wagner, Richard. Tristan und Isolde: Autograph Nationalarchiv der Richard-Wagner-Stiftung Bayreuth. Commentary by Ulrich Konrad. Documenta Musicologica Zweite Reihe: Handschriften-Faksimiles, Band XLV. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 2012. Call no. MUR ML96.5.W346 T7 2012.

Stravinsky, Igor. Le Sacre du printemps: Facsimile of the Autograph Full Score. Edited by Ulrich Mosch. London: Boosey & Hawkes, 2013. Call no. MUR ML96.5 .S932 2013 v.2.

Stravinsky, Igor. Le Sacre du printemps: Manuscript of the Version for Piano Four Hands: Facsimile. Edited by Felix Meyer. London: Boosey & Hawkes, 2013. Call no. MUR ML96.5 .S932 2013 v.3.

Watch this blog for a discussion of the Tristan und Isolde manuscript facsimile, which Elizabeth Hille Cribbs, our new music catalog librarian, will post.

Watch for the full score of Igor Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring), which will go on exhibit for the Fall Semester in the Music Library.

New Reference Items

The Music Library has recently acquired the following reference items:

Dvorak, Thomas L. Best Music for Young Band, rev. ed. Brooklyn, NY: Manhattan Beach Music, 2005. Call no. MUR ML132.B3 D9 2005.

International Who's Who in Classical Music 2013, 29th ed. The Europa Biographical Reference Series. London: Routledge, 2013. Call no. MUR ML105 .I54 2013.

Musical America Worldwide, 2013 ed. Hightstown, NJ: UBM Global Trade, 2012. Call no. MUR ML12 .M883 2013.

Puccini Discography

The Music Library received a new addition to its reference collection:

Flury, Roger.  Giacomo Puccini: A Discography.  Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2012.  Call no. MUR ML156.5.P82 F58 2012.

This exhaustive tome contains listings of recordings of all of Puccini's operas and other works in multiple recording formats.  You can read more about it on the description page in our library catalog.  It is a must-consult resource for serious scholars or students of Puccini's works.

Basic Music Reference is released

The Music Library announces the publication of Basic Music Reference: A Guide for Non-specialist Librarians, Library Assistants, and Student Employees, by Alan Green and Michael Duffy.  This book is the eighth volume of the Music Library Association's Basic Manual Series, published by A-R Editions and the Music Library Association.  It is available on the A-R Editions website.