MUSIC LIBRARY PROFILE - THE ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY'S PERFORMING
ARTS LIBRARY
Roosevelt University's PAL (or Performing Arts Library) is now an expanded
version of what was formerly the Music Library (which also was formerly called The
Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University, but now is called the Chicago College
of the Performing Arts (CCPA).
This library had quite a history. The library started when the Chicago Musical
College existed in the historic Auditorium Theater (located in the heart of the East Loop
of downtown Chicago), which also houses Roosevelt University, where I attended as an
undergraduate piano major from 1990 to 1994, and I earned a Bachelor of Music in Piano
Performance, cum laude.
The old library was at the 11th floor of the University and was cordoned off from
the main library complex that still existed on the 10th floor. At that time, it was called
the Music Library, and it was a limited-access library part of the time...the sheet music
and printed music scores--as well as non-reference music literature (for example, a
biography of Chopin) were in the closed stacks, and were only accessible for students
who already have their Roosevelt University ID cards. Phonorecords and CDs were also
in the closed stacks and could not be taken out except in very limited cases due to
copyright implications at that time (probably the Copyright Law of 1976). Reference
materials and music literature materials that were not scores (such as complilations,
critiques, dictionaries, and discographies) were open-stacks but were non-circulating
(generally, reference materials cannot be checked out from the library).
One of the most important music librarians at that time in the Music Library was
Donald Dragnaski, who worked as a reshelver and a retriever in the closed stacks. His
wife at that time was a German language professor at Roosevelt University. Later on,
as he retired from that position, he currently is a active composer still living in Chicago.
Another composer who used to work at the smaller Music Library in both the closed
stacks and in the open stacks was Gina Helen Wilson, who was a student of composition
at Roosevelt University, but now had graduated.
Around the millennium, the library eventually expanded with brand new
construction, and resulted in the music library being twice the size of the old Music
Library, and eventually became the Performing Arts Library, because the collection now
includes books related to the theatrical arts (including playscripts). The Performing Arts
Libraries exit doors were then linked through the stairs into the main 9th Floor library,
finally ending the cordoning-off atmosphere which once marked the old Music Library...
so simply, both libraries are now interconnected.
The Performing Arts Library has all print material in open-stack shelves (over 10 of
them) lining from east to west, and lining from north to south (on the west wing), shelves
containing periodicals and serials related to music--all of them also on the west wing.
The west wing also has a photocopier and several wooden study tables with chairs. The
reference librarian greets those who enter the doors, and there are separate offices for
other librarian officials. All of the music recordings are limited access, however, just like
in the old Music Library.
The east wing is mainly a study and technology area with study tables, more study
tables with CD players, and study table with an A-V TV set. There are also several
computer stations with open-password access....the reason for this is to allow both
visitors and students to easily find music materials in the library.
With this, I can imagine music librarianship from my many visits to this library. To
me, music librarianship focuses on literally putting the music resources into the correct
shelves or places, no matter which type of cataloging that you use (such as RDA, MARC,
LCC, and so forth); and not only that, music librarianship focuses on helping patrons find
the music resources or even going out to retrieve them from the shelves.
Now, suppose I was appointed to work as a library reshelver at this library. The way
to deal with this is to not only understand the Library of Congress Classification (LCC)
guide entries (similar to guide entries in dictionaries), but to also label each big shelf as
a number. The way I do this is to list the LCC "guide entries" for the 1st and 2nd "end
sides" of the shelf, as well as the shelf number so I can identify the correct area to go to
on the shelf to acquire the music library material or materials.
. I call this technique the "supermarket shelf recall" technique used by
shoppers who want to not waste time meadering or lollygagging through the aisles and
getting lost on the exact item or items from the shelves they need. In other words,
I am thinking of a library as a supermarket. Supermarkets have big shelves, and so
does most of the main academic libraries such as the Performing Arts Library.
The shelf-recalling arrangement schema at the PAL is as follows......and follows this pattern...
1. Shelf number.
2. LCC guide entries for the north part and south parts of shelves.
3. Summary of the contents contained in the shelves.
NORTH WING
SHELF #1
M2 I93 - M2 R2381 (north) - mainly reference materials
M2.R2381 - M3 1388 (south) - mainly reference materials
SHELF #2
M3.S89 - M3 S323 (north) - mainly reference materials
M3 S36 - M22 S488 (south) - mainly reference materials
SHELF #3
M22 550 - M287 (north) - piano music, piano concertos, violin concertos
M288 - M1612 (south) - art songs, art song cycles, piano/vocal scores of other works
SHELF #4
M1013 - 1503 S66 (north) - art songs, art song cycles, piano/vocal scores of other works
M1503S67 - M1620 L (south) - art songs, art song cycles (same as above)
SHELF #5
M1620M - M2199 (north) - art songs, art song cycles, piano/vocal scores of other works
MSCORE (south) - miniature scores, partitions
SHELF #6
Oversize A-Z (north) - mainly large avant-garde hardcover works/partitions
REFA - REF ML128B (south) - encyclopedias, guides, descriptive bibliographies
SHELF #7
REF ML128.C - Z (north) - Music bibliographies, annotated bibliographies, anthologies
ML1 - ML149 (south) - Same or nearly the same items as above.
SHELF #8
ML150 - ML269 (north) - encyclopedias, record compilations, discographies, guides
ML270 - ML410.K (south) - almost the same as the above
SHELF #9
ML410.L - ML421 (north) - classical composer biographies, critiques, ethnic music
ML422 - ML3505 (south) - same or almost the same as above
SHELF #10
ML3506 - MT34 (north)--jazz music anthologies, critiques, literature, teaching books
MT 35-MT889 (south)--almost the same as above
SHELF #11
MT890 - PN6112 (north) - K-12 teaching music, music education books
PN6113 - PR3999 (south) - theater books/acting books/theatrical compilations
SOUTH WING