About Music Resources
in the Chesnutt Library

The general collection of the Chesnutt Library has a variety of books, periodicals and electronic resources on music-related subjects. The Library-assigned call numbers of this material are based on the Library of Congress Subject Outline for Music and carry the prefixes "M," "ML," or "MT," which provide an idea of their subject matter. The books with these call numbers can be found on the third floor of the Chesnutt Library.

• The "M" classification numbers designate any musical score, from solo instrumental sonatas to symphonies, and from songs with piano accompaniment to grand operas. Individual works as well as collections of different works are represented by the "M" classification prefix.  
• The "ML" prefix indicates works of music literature, that is, published writings about music, in both book and periodical formats. Biographies of composers, histories of jazz, and bibliographies of works on American musical theater, for example, carry an "ML" prefix.  
• Material bearing the "MT" classification prefix includes works which focus on music instruction and analysis. Works represented in this category are, for example, analyses of Mozart's operas, guitar instruction methods, writings about a composer's harmonic language and compositional techniques, and notes about performing Latin-American art songs or Beethoven's piano sonatas.

To see the entire Library of Congress Music Classification Outline for Music, click on LC Music Classification.

For assistance in locating music books, scores, and sound recordings using the Chesnutt Library catalog on the Chesnutt Library homepage, call the Reference Department at (910) 672-1233..

Print copies of current music periodicals and journals can be found in the periodicals area on the first floor of the Library.  The back files to these periodicals and journals are located on the first and second floor of the Library.  See the Music Periodicals and Journals Home Page for links to print and electronic journal titles.

Music reference resources, such as dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, handbooks, and indexes, are located in the Reference Department on the first floor of the Library, and are classed as follows:.

• REF M -- Scores. Scores are generally shelved in the General Collection.
• REF ML -- Books on music literature, history and criticism. The Biography/Criticism number for composers is ML410.
• REF ML12 - ML28 -- Directories, international, national and local
• REF ML100 - ML106 --  Encyclopedias, biographical dictionaries
• REF ML113 -- General music bibliographies, research guides
• REF ML128 -- Specific subject bibliographies
• REF ML134 -- Thematic catalogues
• REF ML156 -- Discographies
• REF MT -- Books on music theory and education. Instrumental/Vocal Studies and exercises are usually in General Collection.

An increasing number of electronic online resources are available to the FSU community, including Online Internet Sources and to FSU Online Databases.  Most of these can be accessed remotely, as well as in the Chesnutt Library.

For further assistance, please contact the Reference Department at 672-1233.

Return to Music Resources Home Page

Charles W. Chesnutt Library, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, N.C. 28301
Page Created By: Duane Bogenschneider
Page Maintained By: Jan S. Whitfield jwhitfield@uncfsu.edu
Last Updated: 9/16/09