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An interview with Tanisha Mitchell, curator and consultant for the Metropolitan (Met) Opera Music Library and reference librarian and performing arts coordinator for the Freeport Public Library (FPL), New York, is presented. Mitchell talks about what makes Met's collection unique, how her archival work connects to her public outreach programming, and how the pandemic affects her programming.

The article discusses the origins and popularity of hip-hop music and the challenges faced by libraries in establishing and maintaining a hip-hop collection. Strictly defined, hip-hop refers to the entire cultural constellation that accompanies rap music, which in 2001 surpassed country music as the most popular musical genre in the United States. Establishing and maintaining a hip-hop collection that pleases patrons and credibly covers a rapidly evolving field is tricky. Because of hip-hop's mass appeal, public libraries definitely need guidance. Rap falls into six primary categories: "gangsta," which focuses on murder, money, and mayhem; apolitical pop, which features a danceable beat and easygoing lyrics; political, whose calling card is socially analytical lyrics; positive, which encourages listeners to become more aware of social and personal ills and to take steps to change them; experimental, which continually modifies its style; and, finally, feminist, which challenges the implicit definition of rap as music created by and for males. To separate the wheat from the whack, librarians can consult sterling references like All Music Guide to Hip-Hop and Rough Guide to Hip-Hop, as well as the timely and competent reviews in Rolling Stone.

Examines online music resources ranging from electronically enhanced versions of scholarly indexes and reference books to complete digital music libraries. Classical Music Library from Classical International Inc.; Music Index Online from Harmonie Park Press; Naxos Music Library from Naxos Digital Services Ltd.; RILM Abstracts of Music Literature from National Information Services Corp.

Focuses on the utilization of compact disc technology in music libraries in order to develop comprehensive sound recording collections. Obsolescence of library long-playing collections; Benefits of compact discs for library patrons; Reduction in price of compact discs; Plans to start a well-developed undertaking toward a compact disc collection and facility in libraries.

Focuses on the format shift in libraries of offering online music. Role played by academic librarians in pioneering the online delivery of audio and its technological infrastructure; Efforts of the Haverford College Music Library to increase students' ease in accessing music files for college course reserves; Details of Variations, a streaming service developed at Indiana University; Commercial streaming services, including Classical Music Library, founded as Classical.com.

Presents news briefs related to information technology and library science as of September 2003. Details of the personal search agent tool added by GIS in its Polaris 3.0; Addition of collections from leading record labels Hyperion and VOX to the offerings included in Classical International's Classical Music Library Service; Agreement between Cleveland Public Library in Ohio and Sirsi Corp.

This article provides information on the recipients of Music Library Association (MLA) awards for 1989 publications in the field of music and music bibliography in the U.S. The Vincent H. Duckles Award, given for the best book-length bibliography or music reference work, was awarded to Hans-Joachim Schulze and Christoph Wolff for their Bach Compendium. The Richard S. Hill Award, given for the best article-length bibliography or article on music librarianship appearing in 1989, was given to Gillian B. Anderson for her article Putting the Experience of the World at the Nation's Command: Music at the Library of Congress, 1800-1917, published in the Journal of the American Musicological Society, vol. 42. A citation was awarded to Lenore Coral, past president of MLA, in recognition of her distinguished service to music librarianship. Alan A. Green, a graduate student in music and librarianship at SUNY Buffalo, is the sixth recipient of the Walter Gerboth Award. The award, which is intended to support research by a member of MLA in the first five years of his or her career as a librarian, was given to Green in support of his project, a bio-bibliography of U.S. composer Allen Dwight Sapp. The completed work will be published by Greenwood Press.

Focuses on the outcome of the 48th annual conference of the Music Library Association held February 5 to 10, 1979 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Attendees; Organizations represented; Guest speakers; Presentations and other activities.

Reports on news briefs related to security and salvage procedure programs of college libraries in the United States. Use of freeze drying method for books soaked with water; University of Pittsburgh's Langley Library; Library of the Sanford Fleming Laboratory of the University of Toronto; Music Library of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

The article presents information on how music librarians can assist library patrons with music recommendations without being judgmental or condescending, and focuses on relationship building between librarians and patrons. Topics include listening and conversation skills for librarians, the musical knowledge of music reference librarians, and ways to advise library patrons.

The article looks at cataloging of musical scores. The author discusses factors to be considered in cataloging and shelving materials in a performance library, focusing on the Metropolitan Opera Music Library in New York City where she works. Topics include acquisitions, copyright issues, and notations made on scores during rehearsals.

In this article, the author reflects on her experience of working at music collections in opera libraries in New York City, New York including Metropolitan Opera Music Library (MOML). She informs that collection at MOML was uncataloged so she developed an organization system and cataloged 200 manuscripts, 170 pieces of sheet music, and 1,000 rare piano-vocal scores and talks about a performance library and reflects on things to be kept at library such as track of all scores.

The article focuses on the opening of a new Library and Archives facility for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, with library director Andy Leach mentioning the archive's collection includes personal letters by singers Aretha Franklin and Madonna and working lyrics by Jimi Hendrix.

This article reports on contemporary gospel music for fans and collectors. The article discusses the importance of keeping library collections of gospel music relevant by adding new artists and not just relying on classic recordings. Music releases discussed include "Mountain High...Valley Low" from Yolanda Adams, "Amazing Grace" from Aretha Franklin, and "The Best of the Staples Singer" from the Staples Singers.

An interview is presented with librarian Ruthann B. McTyre, President of the Music Library Association. McTyre says that maintaining a balance between sound recordings and printed music in a music library raises copyright issues. She notes that many musicologists are conducting research on nontraditional music. McTyre describes knowledge of a music library's clientele as the most important element of managing a music library.

The article presents an interview with Gary Giddins, columnist and co-author of the book "Jazz." When asked to name some essential jazz titles that every library should own he answered that libraries should own the works of several jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday. Giddins also recommended lesser popular jazz music albums and whether or not he believes there is a role for libraries in educating people about jazz.

The article reviews three Naxos online libraries and its reader, SheetMusicNow. The features and searchability of Naxos Music Library, Naxos Music Library Jazz, and Naxos Spoken Word Library are discussed. The pricing is mentioned, as well as the prices for a NML Plus package and a Streaming Upgrade.

Presents an interview with Joe Agati, the president of Agati Furniture, regarding library decoration. Changes being made to library interiors; Work of Agati at the Hargrove Music Library of the University of California, Berkeley.

The article discusses how the Alexander Street Press has acquired the music reference service Classical Music Library (CML), an increasingly popular resource for libraries. CML contains tens of thousands of licensed web-based recording tracks cross-referenced to a database of supplementary reference information. Alexander Street Press officials said the acquisition would help integrate audio capabilities with their text- and image-based humanities collections. The press plans to continue to grow the existing CML service and will also use the newly acquired music platform to create new collections-both music services and collections that combine music, text, and images.

Evaluates the Classical Music Library streaming audio service from Classical International Inc. Features of the audio service; Music labels offered in the service; Limitations of the musical content of the service.

Presents an update on the Classical Music Library as of November 2003. Release of a charter subscription for classical music library from Classical International; Details on the Third Annual Reader's Choice Award received by the Classical Music Library.

Announces that Indiana University's new William and Gayle Cook Music Library is scheduled to open in January 1996 and with it the Variations Project. A $500,000 computer system that is the first to transmit digital audio and video without breakup or deterioration over a campuswide network.

Reports that three texts included in a copy of Mozart's "Oeuvres complettes" were discovered in Harvard's Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library. Details of how the texts were sent to publisher Breitkopf & Härtel by Mozart's widow Constanze; Statement of library director Christopher Wolff that the texts provide information on the human side of Mozart, including his social life and relationships; Outlook for the three canons with restored texts to be recorded on the Philips label as part of its plan to issue all of Mozart's works on CD.

This article presents the schedule of conferences, congresses and other events of several agencies and associations in the library industry in the U.S. from January to June 1990. On January 1 and 2, Earlham College-Eckerd College Bibliographic Instruction Conference which will be held at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, will cover traditional methods of bibliographic instruction with emphasis on role of CD-ROM technology in bibliographic instruction. On January 19, St. John's University Congress for Librarians which will be held at Bent Hall, Queens Campus in Jamaica, New York will feature speakers who have experience in fundraising and lobbying at the national, state, and local levels. Sessions at Music Library Association 59th Annual Conference in Tucson Arizona that will take place on January 20 to 24 will include bibliographic instruction, Southwest Native American music, preservation of sound recordings, antiquarian music collecting, music therapy and medical aspects of performing arts. The theme of the Statewide Conference for Academic and Special Librarians in Syracuse, New York which take place on March 22 to 23 is Harmony in Time of Change: Finding Common Ground.

Reports on the retrospective conversion of bibliographic records by music libraries in the U.S.

Reports on the cataloging of information regarding the Music Library and Sound Recordings Archive of the Bowling Green State University on the Online Computer Library Center.

Discusses the opening of the Vincent Motto Music Library in Fayetteville, New York. The donation by his wife Lucy of American popular sheet music and reference books he collected over a 35 year span.

Presents information on various magazines which libraries can add to their collection, compiled as of May 1983. Information on development of music collections in 'The Tarakan Music Letter'; Narrators and voices in fiction in the winter 1981 issue of 'Poetics Today'; Recommendations on modern art and mail-art in the bimonthly magazine 'Umbrella.'