The Music Library collection at UCSB emphasizes musics of the Western art traditions and diverse world cultures, particularly the vernacular and traditional music of Eastern Europe, India, the Middle East, and the United States. Formats include books, scores, sound recordings, journals, videos, and microforms (held at the Main Library, 2nd floor).
PLEASE NOTE:
78-rpm discs and other historical formats are held by the UCSB Library Department of Special Research Collections, not by the Music Library.
See below for more information.
Specialized (Restricted-Use) Collections in the Music Library
- The Goethe Collection
- nearly 200 items of historical and critical materials relating to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, including first and early editions of his writings and musical settings of his poetry.
- "Cage" Collection
- over 1200 historical scores and books, chiefly published in the late-17th through early-19th centuries. The oldest item we own was published in 1594.
- Music Department Performances
- The UCSB Music Department archives their recordings of ensemble performances and faculty and student recitals through the Music Library. Concert participants and composers may request digital files (online or CD) of their performances by contacting Cathy Jones (805-893-2641)
Restricted-use collections in the Music Library do not circulate unless otherwise noted, or by special permission.
Music holdings in the Department of Special Research Collections
- The Performing Arts Collections of the Department of Special Research Collections (SRC), located in the Main Library, hold significant collections of primary-source music research materials. These include:
- Sound Archives
- Historical sound collections: primarily 78rpm discs, 1920s-1950s
- Cylinder project: digital transcriptions of wax cylinders, pre-1920s
- DAHR (Discography of American Historical Recordings): database of over 280,000 master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era, with audio streaming of more than 30,000 recordings
- Manuscript Archives
- listening and viewing facilities as well as a state-of-the-art laboratory for playback and preservation copying of audio, video, and film
- Please contact the Performing Arts Curator, David Seubert, for more information (805-893-5444). For instructions on arranging access to SRC sound materials, see Performing Arts Collection: Access to the Sound Recordings.
- Sound Archives
- The collections of CEMA (California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives) contain additional performing-arts research materials.