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Music Research Guide

Resources helpful for locating information in music

Browsing Scores

When going up to the 4th floor to browse our score collection, you'll notice that the call numbers are different from other items.  Scores use the Library of Congress Classification (LC)rather than Dewey Decimal Classification and the numbers will start with either "M", "ML" or "MT". Once you become familiar with the system, you'll find it very helpful to revisit sections to browse. For a helpful guide to browsing scores by LC call numbers click on the link below:

http://library.nevada.edu/music/using/lccall.php

This link will take you to UNLV Music Library's Guide to the Library of Congress Music Scores Classification. This is a pretty comprehensive guide on how these materials are organized. Keep in mind that the guide in the link above will help you browse this part of our collections, but it is not intended as a representation of the scores that the Mansfield Library owns.

Here are a few simple tips on LC call numbers for music:

* M = scores (sheet music); so, "M" is for music.

* ML = books about music,music history, or literature about music. The majority of the Mansfield Library's collection of items with ML call numbers are opera and musical libretti or texts.

* MT = books about music theory, music education, instrumental or vocal techniques or methods. The majority of the Mansfield Library's collection of items with MT call numbers are either score anthologies or instrumental/vocal technique books.

Music (Sheet Music, Scores, and More)