Subject Guides: Music

How to find a recording (audio or video)

This page will take you, step by step, through the process of finding a recording of a specific piece of music in Hale Library. If you have any questions about this, or any other Library matter, your best bet is to go to the Help Desk and ask. The people at that desk are very willing to help, and are there to help you. The general rule is: if you haven't found what you need in 15 minutes, ask someone for help.

This process will probably take about 20 to 30 minutes to complete.

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STEP 1
Ask Thomas Bell for help. Please do not hesitate to do this. There is no substitute for face-to-face instruction. Use this page after he's helped you a couple of times, or if he's unavailable.

STEP 2
You must have your student ID to check out items from the Library. There are no ifs, ands, or buts. You cannot check out anything without your student ID. Sorry.

STEP 3
First, you'll need to decide exactly what it is you need. Do you want just any recording, or do you only want a CD? If you find a phonograph recording, do you have a player at home (we have one in Reserves, if you need one)? If the piece was originally composed for one type of an ensemble, will you be satisfied with a recording arranged for different instrumentation (for example, an orchestra piece played by a wind ensemble)? Do you want a video recording of an opera, or just an audio recording? Answer as many of these questions as you are able, then go on.

STEP 4
Go to the online Library Catalog. (This link wll open a new window.) This database will tell you what our library owns, and where to find it in the building.

STEP 5
Limit your search. The default setting for our catalogue is to search everything. That means that you may just want a copy of Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata, but if you search without being specific, you'll get a list of every book, recording, sheet music, microform, etc. with the world "moonlight" in it. So, it is in your best interest to tell the catalogue you just want a recording.

Part a.
In the lower-right corner of the purple box, there is an "Advanced Search Limits" button. Click on this.

Part b.
You should be at a page that will let you limit your search by Location, Medium, etc. In the "Location" box, scroll down and click on "Media Collections, All Locations." In my opinion, this is the best way to make sure you only get recordings (a. k. a., "media"). I've heard complaints that the Catalogue sometimes will still report on scores or books, even if you limit to only recordings. By selecting this specific location, we've given ourselves a safety net against that happening.

Part c.
If you only want a video recording (VHS or DVD) then go to the "Medium" box and click on "Videorecording (videotapes, DVDS, etc.)."


Part d.
Now, to finalize our limits, go the top-left of the big, purple box and click on the "Set Limits" button. This should take you back to the Catalog.

STEP 6
Click on the Guided Keyword tab. This is at the top of the purple box.

STEP 7
Construct your search. Guided keyword searches are cool because they literally search every single word on the record for a particular item. So, if you search for "moonlight," you will find anything with "moonlight" in the title, or an author named "moonlight," or some strange item that has "moonlights" in the notes, or maybe even the table of contents. Here are some hints for putting together a search for your item.

Part a.
Give the page a once-over; you have lots of options here. You can type lots of words in one blank, and then tell if you want to search for them "as a phrase," or just for "all of these" (all of the words you typed, but not necessarily in order, or next to each other), or just for "any of these." Speaking generally, you will probably want to search "all of these" most of the time.

Part b.
Do you only want a compact disk and nothing else? In one of your three blanks, type the words "compact," "disk," and "CD," then limit that blank to "any of these." That should weed out most problems.

Part c.
Try typing in the composer's last name. IMPORTANT: Be very careful regarding your spelling; the catalog will not correct it for you. Keep in mind that some composers (especially Russians), have multiple spellings of their names. If you want help, contact Thomas Bell (the Music Librarian), and she'll come out to help if at all possible.

Part d.
Most compositions will have some sort of identifying code associated with them. These are things like "Opus 257," or "op. 257." Some composers have their own special codes, such as the "K" numbers for Mozart's works (as in "K. 626," the number for Mozart's Requiem). In a new blank (after the composer's name), try searching for the letter and number "as a phrase" and see what kind of luck you have.

Part e.
Some compositions have special "nicknames" attached to them, rather than just "Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, K. 622." Try searching for these names along with the composer. For example, the "Moonlight" sonata, or Haydn's "Surprise" symphony, or his "London Symphonies." Operas will have more common titles, obviously, like "Wozzek" or "Aida." Keep in mind your foreign spellings: "Le nozze di Figaro" and "The Marriage of Figaro" should yield the same results in the catalogue, but they may not. If you're not finding what you want, be creative in your search strategy. Remember, Guided Keyword searches every single word on the page, like YAHOO or Google.

Part f.
If you want a recording by a certain conductor, performer, or ensemble, try including his or her or their name in the search. You can even include the name of the recording label if that will help.

Part g.
Keep trying. Be creative. Ask at the General Reference Desk for answers to any library-related question you have. They can either help you themselves, or call Thomas Bell in to help. If what you want is in the building, someone here can help you find it.

STEP 8
Sort your search so you have the most recent items at the top of your list. When you do a successful search, you'll end up with a list of results. On that page, near the top-left, you will see a "Sort by" box. Select "Publish Date Descending," and wait for the page to reload. This will help for a couple of reasons. First off, you just get the most recent recordings. Second, the more recent recordings are much more likely to be CDs or DVDs.

STEP 9
Evaluate your list of records. Eventually, you'll find something that works. Then, you can just scroll down the list of possibilities until you find something that looks like what you want. If you find a title in a foreign language, remember that the recording is probably still useable for you. If you can't figure out the foreign terms, ask Thomas Bell or at the General Reference Desk for help.

STEP 10
Once you've found something you like, read the entire record. I cannot stress this enough. IMPORTANT: Read the entire record. This is where you'll find out if this is actually what you want.

Part a.
For example, look in the "Notes" field. If it says "compact disk," is that what you want? If it doesn't say "compact disk," it should say somewhere on the page what kind of medium it is in. Be certain before you go hunt. If you've found a phonograph record (LP), then be sure and ask before you go looking for it. LPs have a difficult shelving system associated with them.

Part b.
If this is a video recording, is it VHS or DVD? Do you have a VHS or DVD player? We have one in Reserves if you don't.

Part c.
Are you sure this recording is for the instrumentation you expect? If it doesn't say, it is probably the "standard" for that piece.

Part d.
Have you found a compilation recording (like "Great Mozart Arias"), and want to know if your specific piece is included? Click on the gray "Table of Contents" button. Many, but not all, of our holdings have their contents entered into the computer (yes, the Guided Keyword searches tables of contents). For CDs, the individual tracks are listed here.

Part e.
Finally, check the Status of the item. This is crucial. IMPORTANT: Check the status of the item. If it is "not checked out," then you're in luck. If it is "checked out," you're in slightly less luck – but there is still hope. If it is "in process," then we can usually get the item ready to go for you in 24 hours if you request it. Please do not hesitate to ask for help getting items. The General Reference Desk can show you how to request what you need (it only takes about 5 minutes, and it's all online).

STEP 11
Write down the Title, Location, and Call Cumber. Once you are convinced you have a couple of good possibilities that you've found what you want, write down the Title, Location, and Call Number information from the item record. IMPORTANT: All three of these pieces of information, Title, Location, and Call Number, are needed to find what you want in the Library. Then what do you do? Well, if you are familiar with the building and know where to go, then go ahead. If you need help, contact the Help Desk and they will get you where you need to go. Generally speaking, anything listed as "Hale Library Media Collection–3rd Floor," will be in large, off-white, metal cabinets on the 3rd floor.

STEP 12
HELP!! My item isn't on the shelf! If this happens, you have a couple of options.

Part a.
First off, are you sure the status of the item was "not checked out"? Go back and check if you need to.

Part b.
If this doesn't yield results, go back to the General Reference Desk and explain the situation. If you have looked in the wrong place and don't realize it, they can help you. If the item really is just missing, they can give you some hope there as well. Or, you can always just get a hold of Thomas Bell.

STEP 13
Take the item to the Help Desk for checkout. Simple enough. If you've found what you need, just take your ID to the Help Desk and they will check it out to you. IMPORTANT: You absolutely cannot check out items from the Library without your student ID.