A manual for the performance library

182 Pages·2006·7.358 MB·English

by  Girsberger, Russ

Music Library Association
Basic Manual Series
Jean Morrow, Series Editor
1. Music Classification Systems, by Mark McKnight, edited by Linda Barn
hart, 2002.
2. Binding and Care ofP rinted Music, by Alice Carli, 2003.
3. Music Library Instruction, by GreggS. Geary, Laura M. Snyder, and Kath
leen A. Abromeit, edited by Deborah Campana, 2004.
4. Library Acquisition of Music, by R. Michael Fling, edited by Peter
Munstedt, 2004.
5. Audio and Video Equipment Basics for Libraries, by Jim Farrington, 2006.
6. A Manual for the Performance Library, by Russ Girsberger, 2006.

A Manual for the
Performance Library
Russ Girsberger
MLA Basic Manual Series, No. 6
I
The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Lanham, Maryland • Toronto • Plymouth, UK
2006
SCARECROW PRESS, INC.
Published in the United States of America
by Scarecrow Press, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of
The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
www.scarecrowpress.com
Estover Road
Plymouth PL6 7PY
United Kingdom
Copyright © 2006 by Russ Girsberger
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Girsberger, Russ.
A manual for the performance library I Russ Girsberger.
p. em. - (MLA Basic Manual Series ; no. 6)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8108-5871-8 (pbk.: alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8108-5871-1 (pbk.: alk. paper)
1. Music librarianship. I. Title.
ML11l.G57 2006
026'.78-dc22
2006018542
8"'
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO 239.48-1992.
Manufactured in the United States of America.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction ix
1 What Is a Performance Librarian? 1
Education and Training for the Profession I
Qualifications 3
Job Responsibilities 4
2 Acquisitions 9
Information Gathering 9
Selection 10
Purchasing Music 12
Renting Music 13
Performing Rights Organizations 20
3 Cataloging 25
Introduction 25
Catalog Access and Content 26
The Catalog Data 27
Cataloging Scores 32
Cataloging Procedures and Standards 34
Establishing a Standard Title 36
Copy Cataloging 39
The Performance Record 40
4 Processing 45
Introduction 45
Score Order 45
Numbering Parts 48
Property Markings 52
Binding Music for Performance 53
Shelf Arrangement 59
Storage on the Shelf 61
Storage Materials 62
Shelving Units 63
v
vi CONTENTS
5 Part Preparation 67
Size of the Page 67
Paper Weight and Color 68
Page Turns, Page Turns, Page Turns 69
Courtesy Aids 77
Bowings 83
String Section Divisi Markings 90
Other Musical Markings 92
6 Distribution 97
Arranging Music for Distribution 97
Preparing Music Folders 99
Lending and Circulating Music 105
7 Other Duties and Challenges 107
Audition Lists and Excerpts 107
Concert Programs 108
Care and Preservation of the Library Holdings 113
Communication 117
Appendix: Forms, Categories, and Supplies 121
Examples of Category and Special Category Terms 136
Library Supplies 138
Glossary 141
Bibliography 147
Index 167
About the Author 171
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My sincere thanks go to my colleagues and friends who read this manuscript.
Their insightful comments made this manual more valuable and practical. Special
recognition goes to:
Marcia Farabee of the National Symphony Orchestra
Kazue McGregor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Clint Nieweg of the Philadelphia Orchestra (retired)
Mike Ressler and Jane Cross of the United States Marine Band
Clovis Lark of Indiana University
Jennifer Hunt of The Boston Conservatory
The members of the Major Orchestra Librarians' Association
Thanks also to my special advisors, Susan Koutsky, Ella Winfield, Stu Serio,
Ellen Miller, Courtney Secoy, and to my colleagues at the New England Conser
vatory, Sally Millar, Pat Maxfield, and Jean Morrow.
Experience is the best teacher and I was fortunate to learn from the outstand
ing librarians of the United States Marine Band (Washington, D.C.) and Marty
Burlingame and John Perkel of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
This book is dedicated to my wife Shawn and my children, Richie and Jasmine.
vii

INTRODUCTION
The performance library is the repository and distribution center for music scores
and parts used by performing musicians and ensembles. Such libraries support
many types of musical groups, including symphony orchestras, opera companies,
ballet companies, wind ensembles and bands, choruses, chamber ensembles, and
jazz and popular music combos.
The purpose of this manual is to assist librarians, musicians, volunteers, and
students in operating a performance library for their organization or institution. It
will outline the basic principles and practices for acquiring, processing, preparing,
and distributing music to performers. It will also recommend procedures for the
organization, cataloging, care, and preservation of the library's holdings.
We hope that this book will be a helpful resource to the performance librarian
supporting any type of academic, community, or professional ensemble.
ix