Music/Drama Library

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Audio Recordings

Most of UConn's musical audio recordings are housed in the Music & Dramatic Arts Library in the Fine Arts Complex. The Babbidge Library and UConn's Regional Campus Libraries also have some recordings. Most of UConn's recordings are listed in HOMER, the library catalog. The library also has several new collections of streamed audio collections that can be listened to over the Internet.

Topics Covered

• Audio Online (Streamed)
• How to Find Audio Recordings in HOMER
• Digital Audio Reserve (music streamed through HuskyCT)
• Ruckus: Free, Legal Downloads for Students [connect now]
• Recordings at Other Libraries
• LP Gift Collection and Out-of-Print Recordings

Audio Online (Streamed)

All Streaming Audio Collections

Listen to music online! The UConn Libraries subscribe to several streaming audio collections of classical, jazz, folk, and world music (traditional and contemporary). Click the link above to access the collections of recordings. Some of the recordings are also listed in HOMER.

How to Find Audio Recordings in HOMER

Best HOMER Search Strategies

Note: when searching for recordings, it is best to AVOID the Author and Title searches.

Option 1: Keyword Search (or Keyword Boolean Search)

• Good for mixing terms or trying various word forms.
• Allows limiting by format.
• Good for songs or works with distinctive titles.
• Not as good for generic form titles (e.g., sonatas).
  

Quick Search Instructions

Option 2: Prolific Author/Composer Search

• Provides well-sorted list of a composer's musical works.
• Has cross references to "alternative" titles.
• Very effective for "form" titles (such as sonatas or symphonies), musical works that are known by many titles, or works that have many versions or arrangements (e.g., full and vocal scores, operas with excerpted arias, arrangements, etc.).
  

Quick Search Instructions

Option 3: Call Number Search

• Allows you to browse titles as they appear on the shelf.
• Many like items are shelved together (e.g., jazz, folk music, a composer's works)
• Warning: you cannot find all musical works this way. Learn the other searches!

  Quick Search Instructions
  Detailed Instructions, with explanation of How to Read AV Call Numbers

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HOMER Search Guides for Music

• Basic HOMER Searching (Music Emphasis) (PDF) -- One-page quick guide

• Finding Music series -- Detailed step-by-step guides (with illustrations)

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Digital Audio Reserve (DAR)

The UConn Libraries selectively offers a Digital Audio Reserve (DAR) service to the University community for use within HuskyCT (formerly Vista/WebCT). DAR provides streamed audio access to lectures, music owned by the University Libraries or the instructor, and audio recordings held in the University's Archives and Special Collections. Instructors who wish to inquire further should contact DAR staff.

• Access recordings: HuskyCT (formerly Vista/WebCT)
• Need assistance? DAR Information for Instructors or DAR Help (for students)

This service is available only to students enrolled in participating courses.

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Ruckus: Free, Legal Downloads for Students

Ruckus provides free and legal downloads of more than three million songs for UConn students. Provided by the Connecticut Education Network at the direction of the Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology. 

University faculty and staff may register and browse the catalog for free. Those who wish to download music must subscribe for $8.99 per month. A 3-day free trial is available. (Information provided to T. Rudnick by Ruckus Customer Support 2/20/2008.)

Audio Recordings at Other Libraries

More and more libraries are loaning their recordings through InterLibrary Loan, and you may also be able to drive to a local library and use the recordings. The links below help identify libraries and recordings.

• WorldCat -- This database lists the holdings of thousands of other libraries.

  Use WorldCat to identify recordings held by other libraries. Click on "Borrow From Another Library" for interlibrary loan, or find a list of local library that have the item. Also use WorldCat to help identify recordings for purchase or find missing information (e.g., names, titles, opus numbers, or broader works).

• Other Music Libraries or Other Library Catalogs -- Consult a local library.

• Google is another fast way to find other libraries or recordings (for purchase).

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LP Gift Collection

The Music & Dramatic Arts Library has over 15,000 uncataloged gift LPs behind the service desk. There are several ways to identify items in the gift collection.

1. Ask a librarian or desk supervisor to check the gift card catalog. (It is only a crude tool.)
2. The collection is alphabetized by record label name and label number. If you have the label and number, desk staff can check the collection for you. Identify labels and label numbers by searching for your composer or musical work in
   • WorldCat (a "union" catalog of library holdings) or
   • print or Web discographies.

See a librarian for assistance.

Out-of-Print Recordings

• Classical Recordings Collection Building, Label Pages, and Dealers (University of Washington). See also Early or Historical Sound Recordings Collections

• Web Resources for Out-of-print Sound Recordings -- Useful but dated (last revised 2002).

• Used Classical CDs Meta-list -- Assembled by Leslie Troutman (University of Illinois) with comments from members of the Music Library Association. May also be dated.

• Yahoo Used Records and Tapes

This page was found at http://www.lib.uconn.edu/music/recordings.html