Use the WorldCat Discover Box (found on the Butler Libraries homepage) to begin your search for print scores owned by Butler Libraries, PALNI (Private Academib Library Network of Indiana) Libraries and other WorldCat Libraries around the world.
You can select "Musical score" from "Format" limiter box on the left-hand side of the screen when you get the results from your initial search so that the results list only shows scores.
The scores owned by the Butler Libraries will have the following at the bottom of the brief record for the item:
To access scores NOT owned by the Butler University Libraries, you will need to make an interlibrary loan request. Click on the "Interlibrary Loan" tab/page on this LibGuide to access the ILL tutorial and register.
The Butler Libraries use the Library of Congress Classification system. This is an alpha-numeric system of classification (meaning it uses both letters and numbers to describe the classification and location of an item).
Here are some useful basic LC classes for music:
M = Scores
M2 Historical, geographical, and other collections of music (i.e., Musical Monuments)
M3 Collected works of individual composers
M1500-2999 Vocal Music
M1500-1518 Operas and musicals
M1503 Vocal scores with piano accompaniment
M1505-1508.2 Excerpts
M1611-1624.8 Secular songs for one voice
M1619 General collections
M1620 Art songs (collections of one composer)
M1621 Art songs (single songs)
M1621.4 Song cycles
M1990-1998 Children songs
M1999-2199 Sacred vocal music
M2000-2007 Oratorios
M2010-2017.6 Masses
M2020-2036 Cantatas, choruses, etc.
M2102-2114.8 Sacred songs for one voice
MT820-949 Voice instruction
Use the WorldCat Discover Box (found on the Butler Libraries homepage) to begin your search for compact discs and vinyl recordings owned by Butler Libraries, PALNI (Private Academib Library Network of Indiana) Libraries and other WorldCat Libraries around the world.
You can select "Music" (and "CD" or "LP") from "Format" limiter box on the left-hand side of the screen when you get the results from your initial search so that the results list only shows those recording formats.
The individual recordings owned by the Butler Libraries will have the following text at the bottom of the brief record for the item:
The jewel cases of Butler-owned CDs are in the music stacks on the 2nd floor of Irwin (northeast quadrant), filed immediately after the music reference collection. To check out a CD, retrieve the jewel case from the stacks and take it to the Information Commons service desk. The person at the desk will retrieve the appropriate CD and help you check it out.
Butler-owned vinyl recordings are located on the lower level of Irwin Library (southwest quadrant). These recordings do not check out and must be used in the nearby A-V carrels in the northwest corner of the same quadrant. Headsets are available for check-out at the service desk.
To access scores NOT owned by the Butler University Libraries, you will need to make an interlibrary loan request. Click on the "Interlibrary Loan" tab/page on this LibGuide to access the ILL tutorial and register.
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The Butler Libraries classify both its compact discs (CDs) and vinyl recordings by accession number. We hope to re-class them in the next year or so to make them easier to browse. Until that time, if you are looking for a recording of a particular work, it's best to use the WorldCat Discovery Box on the Library homepage.
If you don't find what you need available at Butler, request it through Interlibrary Loan!
Remember: Most libraries will not loan vinyl (33 1/3 rpm) recordings but many will loan CDs.
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