Libraries : Dwight Anderson Music Library


Collection Development Policy

  1. Introduction
    1. Preface
      1. This policy describes the collection development program of the Dwight Anderson Music Library of the University of Louisville and the goals for collecting in specific media as well as in specific subject areas. The policy is intended to be a straightforward statement of collecting practice for interested faculty, staff, and students.
      2. The Dwight Anderson Music Library has two central missions: (1) to support the curricula of the School of Music and (2) to support and encourage faculty and graduate research.
    2. The Music Library's users
      1. The facilities of the Music Library are open to the public, and information services are available to anyone who visits, telephones, or writes the library. The library lends circulating textual materials to other institutions through the University Libraries' interlibrary-loan service.
      2. The primary users of the Music Library are the faculty, staff, and students of the School of Music. The UofL School of Music offers the following degrees:
        1. Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Arts in Music.
          1. Major subjects in the Bachelor of Music degree are piano, voice, organ, guitar, band, orchestral instrument, music history, theory, composition, piano pedagogy, music education, and music therapy.
          2. Emphasis in the Bachelor of Music Education degree is either vocal or instrumental.
          3. The Bachelor of Arts degree combines a major in music with a strong liberal arts program.
        2. Graduate School: Master of Music in Music Performance, Master of Music in Music History, Master of Music in Theory and Composition, Master of Music Education, Master of Arts in Teaching in Music Education, Master of Arts in Music History, Doctor of Philosophy in Musicology.
      3. Other identifiable categories of users include: UofL students and faculty outside the School of Music; residents of the Louisville metropolitan area who are not affiliated with the university; and out-of-town researchers, who might use resources onsite, make written requests, or issue requests through their own interlibrary-loan departments. While the Anderson Music Library provides services to these users, we do not collect materials specifically in support of any needs beyond those of the School of Music.
      4. Because the library's primary mission is to provide support for the curriculum and research of the School of Music, the needs of the students, staff, and faculty of the school receive priority over the needs of other user groups, and this priority is reflected in collection development decisions.
    3. Restrictions
      1. The library collects as comprehensively as possible within the parameters stated below, but certain conditions beyond the control of the library might prevent the acquisition of a title that falls within the scope of this policy.
      2. Some of these conditions are: budget limitations; availability; and/or ability to provide technical support.
    4. Overview of library and its collections
      1. Founded in 1947, the Dwight Anderson Music Library is one of the largest academic music collections in the state of Kentucky. In 1981, the Music Library moved into its present quarters in the School of Music building, its fourth home since its founding, where it occupies approximately 14,500 square feet of floor space over three floors.
      2. For a collection and school of its size, the library's collections are particularly strong in reference materials, scores and recordings of contemporary composers, and early Louisville imprints.
      3. Collection locations:
        1. The majority of the library's holdings are located in the Dwight Anderson Music Library in School of Music building on the north edge of Belknap Campus.
        2. Approximately 1860 music-related volumes are housed in the general collections of Ekstrom Library and approximately 45 titles are housed in the Rare Book and Special Collections Department of that library. An additional 5 titles are housed in Photographic Archives of the Ekstrom Library.
      4. Special collections:
        1. In the Anderson Music Library Archive Room: The Traipsin’ Woman (Jean Thomas) Collection, the Isidor Philipp Archive and Memorial Library, the Hattie Bishop Speed Collection, the Louisville Orchestra Archives, Louisville Imprint Collection, and the Ricasoli Collection.
        2. In the Anderson Music Library 3rd Floor restricted area: Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition archives.
    5. Criteria guiding selection decisions.
      1. Top priority is given to materials directly related to curricular needs.
      2. High priority is given to materials related to the recognized research interests of School of Music faculty.
      3. Materials may be acquired that provide a comprehensive treatment of a particular topic that would usually fall outside the scope of ongoing collection development.
      4. Monographs and printed editions may be acquired in areas not normally collected when the materials are acknowledged as the product of outstanding scholarship.
      5. Textual materials are acquired almost exclusively in western European languages. Strong preference is given to English-language materials, but scholarly materials are selectively acquired in German, French, Italian, and Spanish as well as in other languages whenever there are no comparable sources available in English and whenever texts in the original language are necessary to support curricular needs and/or recognized research interests of School of Music faculty.
      6. Music-related books, scores, and some recordings are acquired through approval plans as well as via firm orders.
    6. Cooperative agreements.
      1. The Anderson Music Library is not currently participating in any cooperative collection development or resource-sharing agreements.
    7. Administration.
      1. The Music Library's collection development program is under the direction of the head music librarian.
  2. General policies and guidelines.
    1. Materials by specific type/medium
      1. Books. Acquired in English for all relevant subject areas. Books to support graduate and faculty research are acquired selectively in major western European languages. The library system has a book-approval plan established for a large number of university-press books as well as a large number of domestic publishers. The Music Library selects most other books using approval slips supplied through Yankee Book Peddler (US Imprints), Blackwell’s, and Harrassowitz (German-language) as well as publicity flyers, publisher catalogs, and review articles. Faculty requests are welcome, and those related directly to curricular needs and research are given priority.
        1. Textbooks. Very selectively acquired in single copies for reference and to support the study of music pedagogy. The library does not attempt to meet individual student's instructional needs by acquiring multiple copies of assigned textbooks.
        2. Paperback editions. Acquired only if a hardcover edition is not available.
      2. Periodicals. Acquired for following subjects: musicology (mostly English), music theory (mostly English), music education (English), music performance (mostly English), and very selectively for popular music.
      3. Newspapers. Very selectively acquired.
      4. Periodical indexes. Acquired comprehensively.
      5. Juvenile materials. Not acquired, except as pedagogical examples in support of the music education or music therapy curriculum.
      6. Reprints. Acquired only if the original was not acquired or has restricted circulation.
      7. Maps. Not acquired.
      8. Dissertations. Acquired for research purposes upon request.
      9. Microforms. Acquired for (1) materials that are unavailable in paper format; (2) materials that are considerably less expensive in microform; or (3) to conserve the shelf space that would be occupied by infrequently used paper materials. Included are: out-of-print monographs, periodicals, dissertations, and music editions.
      10. Pamphlets. Not acquired actively, although the library maintains an information file to which pamphlets might be added.
      11. Photocopies. Only authorized photocopies supplied by the publisher are added to the collection.
      12. Posters. Not acquired.
      13. Printed music. The Music Library's acquisitions priorities and guidelines for scores and parts are as follows:
        1. Selection priorities:
          1. collected editions, complete works, historical sets, monuments of music, as comprehensively as necessary to support curricular and research needs.
          2. a single copy of as many contemporary compositions as possible, comprehensive for a given number of contemporary composers (through the Harrassowitz Approval Plan (European imprints) and Pepper Approval Plan (US Imprints)).
          3. newly edited, high-quality scholarly and performing editions of standard works (through Harrassowitz Approval Plan).
          4. facsimile editions of important manuscripts and early print
          5. early editions and manuscripts in support of identified Special Collections (see section I.D.4).
        2. Guidelines for selection
          1. Scores for compositions involving ten or more parts
          2. Score and performing parts for compositions involving nine or fewer parts
          3. Study score is preferred to full orchestral score, if content is identical (otherwise, full orchestra score).
          4. Reprint editions are not purchased unless the library holds no other edition in an adequate condition for circulation
        3. The selection process. Selection choices for scores are often made within the context of both short- and long-term collection analysis projects and with a view toward acquiring new editions, especially of works previously unpublished. Primary source materials for selection include new publisher lists, vender cards (paper and electronic), and vendor/distributor mailings representing many publishers, both foreign and domestic. Some of these distributors are European-American Retail Music, Theodore Front, and Harrassowitz.
        4. Budget. Given the cost of scores, long- and short-term plans are limited by the funds available for each fiscal year.
        5. Collection assessment. Collection analysis projects have compared our holdings against lists of works by major composers, works by women composers, string quartet music, etc. Other projects have grown out of teaching-faculty requests, which may identify areas of the collection needing recataloging or even weeding. Long-range plans include introducing publisher projects, such as going through a specific publisher's catalog to check against our holdings.
      14. Rental materials. The library acquires no rental materials and does not fund the rental of printed music.
      15. Sound recordings.
        1. Purpose of the collection. The sound recording collection is considered a non-circulating reference collection from which recordings circulate only to School of Music faculty and graduate teaching assistants for teaching purposes. For this reason, no attempt is made to collect multiple copies of specific performances.
        2. Selection priorities.
          1. All requests for materials related to the curriculum and research are filled.
          2. Western art music
            1. top priority is given to significant repertoire in all genres issued for the first time.
              1. Operas: full operas are preferred over selections
              2. Song and aria collections: repertoire is favored over performer-centered albums.
            2. high priority is given to the purchase of standard repertoire materials used in teaching. These items, in some cases, will duplicate specific performances previously issued on LP and currently in the Music Library’s collection.
          3. World music (i.e., art and vernacular traditions outside of western art music but excluding Anglo-American popular music): priority is given to well-documented recordings of indigenous traditions.
          4. Musical theater and musical film: significant releases are acquired.
          5. Jazz: most jazz-recording purchases are retrospective boxed sets.
          6. American band music: significant releases are acquired.
          7. Anglo-American popular music: purchased on request by teaching faculty
        3. Formats acquired. Because the library is not a sound recording archive, it acquires sound recordings only in current formats.
          1. Compact discs. The medium of choice for newly issued sound recordings.
          2. LPs. Acquired rarely and only if the recording is not available on compact disc and is of great significance.
          3. Cassettes. Acquired rarely and only if the recording is not available on compact disc and is of great significance.
          4. 78s. Not acquired.
        4. The selection process.
          1. Ongoing collection development is conducted through consulting a broad range of review journals, discographies, online sources, and vendor/distributor mailings representing many labels, both foreign and domestic
          2. Vendors used include Valley Media, Music Library Service Corporation, and Theodore Front.
        5. Standing orders. The Music Library has standing orders for the following labels and series:
          1. New World Records
          2. CRI
          3. New Albion
          4. Rounder Anthology of World Music Series
          5. Rounder World Library Series
          6. Italian Treasury Series
          7. Caribbean Voyager Series
          8. Putumayo World Music
        6. Collection assessment. Collection assessment projects of the recordings collection are undertaken as time permits. Projects may be centered on the recordings of a specific composer, a specific form or genre, or a specific culture
      16. Videorecordings. Acquired in support of the curriculum of the School of Music (limited support for research). Majority on request.
        1. DVDs. Medium of choice for newly issued videorecordings
        2. Videotapes. VHS only.
        3. Laserdiscs.
      17. Electronic resources. Acquired as needed and as budget permits.
        1. Network access to external databases. Preferred due to of ease of use and campus-wide access.
        2. CD-ROM products. Acquire primarily index sources not available in other format. Other sources by request.
        3. Software. Rarely acquired.
      18. Performing-ensemble music. The library acquires performance materials for ensembles up to ten players. Orchestral and choral music is acquired by the School of Music and housed on the third floor of the Music Library. Other School of Music ensembles maintain their own music collections.
      19. Rare books. Not acquired.
      20. Manuscripts. Acquired only in support of Ricasoli Collection with gift funds given specifically for that purpose.
      21. Realia. Not acquired.
      22. Archival materials. Not acquired. Archival collections are deposited in the University Archives.
      23. Research materials. The library acquires materials in support of faculty and doctoral research but does not collect primary sources nor unpublished copies of primary sources except as stated under II.A.13.a 5 and II.A.20.
    2. Special categories of materials
      1. Faculty publications. Acquired comprehensively, in all formats.
      2. Reserve materials. Receive top priority for acquisition, in all formats
      3. Replacements. Acquired if in print. A subsequent edition, if available, is acquired if out of print.
      4. Duplicate copies. Acquired only for print materials as need demands.
      5. Expensive purchases. Acquired mostly through Library Associates Grants or special one time funding opportunities within the University Libraries.
    3. Gifts
      1. Acceptance.
        1. The head music librarian makes the decision on the acceptance of large gifts and handles the negotiations with the donor.
        2. Often, the relevance of donated materials to the library's collection cannot be determined until the materials are evaluated individually. The library reserves the right to determine the dispensation of donated materials and this right is made clear to the donor. Restrictions placed by the donor on the dispensation of the donated materials may affect the library's ability to accept them.
        3. Included among the broad categories of materials that are not added to the collection are:
          1. 78-rpm and LP recordings
          2. Cassette tapes, reel-to-reel tapes, 8-track tapes
          3. Photocopies
      2. Accessioning. Arrangements for transporting gift materials to the library are made by the head music librarian.
      3. Evaluating. The library cannot perform appraisals. Donors who require an appraisal for tax purposes are referred to a list of rare-book dealers in the area. The donor makes arrangements for the appraisal and covers the appraisal fee.
      4. Acknowledgment. The head librarian or her assistant acknowledges all gifts. The University Librarian also acknowledges significant monetary gifts as well as significant gifts in kind.
      5. Processing.
        1. Upon receipt of a gift, the head librarian makes initial decisions based on the physical condition of individual items. Those in poor physical condition are either added to the inventory for the library sale or discarded.
        2. The materials eligible for the collection are searched against our holdings by appropriate staff.
        3. The head music librarian then reviews the materials and the searching reports to determine appropriate processing. This decision is made according to the collection development policies stated above. Individual items are usually processed in one of the following ways:
          1. Sent to Technical Services to be added to the collection
          2. Sent to storage for future processing
          3. Added to the inventory for the library sale
    4. Preservation
      1. Decisions on binding. Decisions on binding are made by the assistant music librarian. Often decisions are made in consultation with the head music librarian.
      2. Conservation. Conservation in the Music Library is done only on an informal basis. Materials flagged as needing preservation attention are first reviewed by the head music librarian, who makes one of the following decisions:
        1. Preservation. If the copy can be easily repaired, the head music librarian refers the item to the person responsible for mending.
        2. Replacement. If replacement would be more cost effective than preservation, the head music librarian initiates an order for a replacement copy. The current copy is held until the replacement arrives.
        3. Withdrawal. If preservation would be difficult or costly and there are a sufficient number of comparable editions in the library's holdings, the item may be withdrawn without replacement.
    5. Weeding and withdrawal.
      1. The head music librarian makes decisions on weeding and other withdrawals.
  3. Analysis of subject areas.
    1. Musicology
      1. Degrees supported: Bachelor of Music in Music History, Master of Music in Musicology, Master of Arts in Music History, Doctor of Philosophy in Musicology
      2. Scope: textual materials are primarily collected in English; materials in western European languages, with a particular focus on English and German, are collected as particular research interests dictate; compact discs are acquired to support both curricular and research needs; the library attempts to acquire major critical editions and facsimiles. For ethnomusicology, compact discs and cassettes are acquired as a part of ongoing collection building for the broad range of world music.
    2. Music theory and composition
      1. Degrees supported: Bachelor of Music in Theory, Bachelor of Music in Composition, Master of Music in Theory and Composition
      2. Scope: books and journals in English on music theory, analysis, composition, and the use of computers and technology in music composition; scores and recordings for a broad range of contemporary music.
    3. Music education
      1. Degrees supported: Bachelor of Music (Pre-certification: vocal, keyboard, instrumental), Bachelor of Music Education with Vocal or Instrumental Emphasis, Master of Music Education, Master of Arts in Teaching in Music Education.
      2. Scope: textual materials in English; periodicals in English; collection of curricular materials for consultation
    4. Music performance
      1. Degrees supported: Bachelor of Music in Music Performance (Instrumental or Keyboard), Bachelor of Music Performance with Concentration in Piano Pedagogy or Voice, Master of Music in Music Performance with Concentration in Multiple Woodwinds, Conducting, or Piano Pedagogy.
      2. Scope: scores and sound recordings
    5. Music therapy
      1. Degrees supported: Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy
      2. Scope: comprehensive acquisition of textual materials in English; periodicals in English; collection of curricular materials for consultation; videos and multi-media upon request.
    6. Other subject areas
      1. Music technology. Limited acquisition of books on application of technology in popular music.
      2. Business of music. Limited acquisition of books in English.
      3. Popular music. Books in English on jazz and popular music; limited acquisition of artist biographies in English; limited acquisition of sound recordings; limited acquisition of periodicals in English.


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