Saturday, August 22, 2009

What's new for Fall 2009

If you've been away from campus for a little while, the first thing you'll notice at Bracken is the new carpeting on the first floor. To the left of the entrance, the Schwartz Complex has been completed and dedicated. This complex will offer faculty and presenters a new type of space, featuring state-of-the-art technology, large screen viewing, and group project space for digital projects.

In the Music Collection, the main change is the integration of the music reference books. Books from the first floor reference collection have been interfiled with those in the MC reference area.

As a violist, musicologist, and jazz afficionado, our new materials lists will reflect my background: http://www.bsu.edu/libraries/newmaterials/ because I didn't have a complete fiscal year cycle for purchasing.

If you would like the next new materials lists to reflect your interests, let me know what the Music Collection is lacking and I'll try to bring it to BSU for you! You can send me an e-mail or use the suggestion forms provided by the libraries:

Books & scores: http://www.bsu.edu/libraries/forms/materialsuggestion.php
CDs & DVDs: http://www.bsu.edu/libraries/forms/mediaform.php

Monday, July 13, 2009

New Playlists on Naxos Music Online

To highlight some of Naxos' non-Classical offerings, I have put together two playlists: World Music Sampler and Jazz on Naxos. Naxos features streaming audio from independent publishers as well as its own catalogue. Playlists can only be made by the librarian (me!) or a Music professor at BSU.

To listen to these playlists, go to http://proxy.bsu.edu/login?url=http://bsu.naxosmusiclibrary.com or click on Naxos Music Library from the Databases page: http://www.bsu.edu/libraries/svl/databases/index.php

The Music Collection includes a wide variety of music in CD format. If you hear something you like on a playlist and you want more of the same, feel free to contact me for suggestions.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Music Reference Books have moved!

All but a few of the reference books that were shelved on the First Floor in the Reference area have now been transferred to the Music Collection. Music Index may now be found next to the table near the Music Librarian's office. Research may now be conducted entirely in the Music Collection (and online of course!)

Monday, June 15, 2009

CardCat Tips for Music

This video (no sound) gives you tips on searching for music scores & recordings using basic and advanced searching in BSU's CardCat.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2gZNtVkets

It is also available as a fully animated Powerpoint 2007 presentation on ilocker (no log-in required): https://ilocker.bsu.edu/users/aledmonds/WORLD_SHARED/Searching_CardCat_Music.ppsx

As always, you can contact me for further assistance if these tips don't answer your questions.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

April is Jazz Appreciation Month!

This month the Music Collection is celebrating Jazz History Month with a display at the end of the reference shelves and additions to the countertop browsing display.

Celebrate America's cultural heritage by listening to some jazz this month. Or watch a video! The Educational Resources Collection has recently received many fine DVDs of classic live jazz performances. Search for "Jazz Icons" in CardCat for individual listings.

For more information on Jazz Appreciation Month, see:
[image from openclipart.org]

Thursday, March 5, 2009

News from the Music Collection


This semester has brought several positive changes to help you get your work done:

Finale 2008 has been installed on 3 Mac Pros and 4 Windows computers in the Music Collection area, and three midi interface keyboards are on the way! Music collection supervisors Jason Smith and Kevin Blue both have experience using this software and they'll be happy to assist you. With Bracken's long hours you no longer have an excuse for not getting your arranging assignment finished!

Multisearch has been added to the Databases page. You can now simultaneously search a group of databases targeted toward music research or search several databases of your own choosing. RILM and Cardcat are included in Multisearch.

I have published "libguides," subject guides for libary research. There is one for general music research and a separate guide for opera research.

http://www.worldcat.org is a free version of Worldcat that builds on features from other applications and operates with Facebook. You can search for a book, score or recording and find libraries that own them, listed by distance. You can "favorite" BSU and other libraries you may go to, and you can share lists with others. And like youtube and photo hosting sites, you can add tags to your favorite recordings, books, or scores to help others find them. I started some lists to help people research my favorite topics: http://www.worldcat.org/profiles/amyedmonds/lists Anyone can do it!