Check out our tutorial How to Find Items at the Music & Performing Arts Library: Understanding Call Numbers.
On the 1st Floor…
Books
- Are shelved in both Dewey Classification and by Library of Congress Classification.
- Q. prefix call numbers (quartos) are interfiled with other books.
Plays
- Single author/single title plays or collections of plays by a single author are shelved in the Plays Collection area on the 1st floor computer area (by author and then title). Other plays, such as anthologies, are shelved by call number with the books on the 1st floor.
Periodicals
- Located in the Northwest corner of the 1st floor, they are shelved alphabetically by title. There are sections for dance, music, and theatre periodicals and title lists are located at the end of the shelves. More periodicals can be found online via the library catalog.
Reference Materials
- The Reference collection includes books and scores and is in the middle of the 1st floor, across from the stairs.
On the 2nd Floor…
Scores
- Regular-sized and quarto-sized scored (q. M) are interfiled.
- Miniature scores (MM) and oversized (folio) scores (f. M) have separate locations on the 2nd floor.
Books
- Oversized books (f. ML or f. MT) are along the west wall of the 2nd floor.
Ask at the 1st Floor Service Desk for the following items
Board Games, CDs, DVDs, and Course Reserves
- Take the call number to the service desk on the 1st floor. Games and media items will have call numbers that start with a prefix (BOARD, CDISC, DVD, CDROM, DVDROM).
Special Collections in all Formats
- Must be asked for at the service window on the 2nd floor (or the service desk on the 1st Floor if the 2nd Floor is not staffed). Materials include LP Recordings, microforms, cassettes, & rare books and scores (DISC, MFICHE, CASS). If no one is working at the window, you can ask for these items at the 1st floor desk.
Additional Resources
- Call number guide to performance materials
- Guides for finding music materials
- Maps/floorplans of MPAL
- New Items in MPAL