There are two recording collections in the Music Library

• The Recordings Collection, which has been curated to support the teaching curriculum.
  • Includes CDs, LPs, DVDs, VHS videos, and a tiny number of cassette tapes.
  • The CDs & DVDs are undergoing conversion to set them to circulate outside the library for the same loan periods as books and scores. 
  • Request these recordings at the Circulation Desk.
  • Check out CDs, DVDs, and LPs with your Yale ID;
  • NEW! Borrow a DVDR player to connect to your laptop: plays CDs, DVDs, CDRoms, DVDRoms, and Blu-Ray!
  • Listen to these and other formats in the Music Library using our equipment; check out headphones from the Circulation Desk.
• The Yale Collection of Historical Sound Recordings. 
  • Its purpose is to collect, preserve, and make available for study important historical recordings.
  • Strengths include Western classical music, early recordings of singers (up to 1920), jazz, American musical theatre, drama, literature, and history.
  • Approximately 280,000 recordings currently, the majority of which are 78s and LPs.
  • The remaining portion of the collection consists mostly of reel-to-reel tapes, CDs, audio cassettes, and cylinders.
  • CDs and DVDs listed in Books+ and Orbis may be paged for use within the Music Library. Pick them up at the Circulation Desk and listen to them in the library. For all other formats, access is by appointment only. Start with Request Links you find in Quicksearch, or send an email inquiry to Mark Bailey.
  • Links to online streaming recordings from the collection can be found in Aviary or Archives at Yale (also through Quicksearch - Archives or Manuscripts).

Finding Scores

1.  Yale Library's online catalog, Orbis, is the place to start. Try a simple keyword search such as: brahms piano music and make sure to use the Quick Limit - Music Printed and Manuscript - (more examples of keyword searches)

2. From the resulting list of titles, click on the author's name (sometimes title) to see more information.

3. To find the score in the library take note of the Location, Call Number and Status.

This example above shows that the book is in the Music Library on regular shelf and is available. Other possible score locations include the SML stacks, the LSF, Drama Library (now Arts), Beinecke, & MSSA.

Refine Your Search

TIP 1 - When the record displays, take note of the Uniform Title, Subjects, and Notes fields which may suggest terms that will allow you to refine your search.

TIP 2 - There are "power terms" that you should try using in your searches. They will provide the best results. Examples of such terms include name of composers, names of editors, names of publishers (e.g. henle), numbers (e.g. opus numbers, BWV numbers, Köchel numbers, etc.), genre or form terms, distinctive titles, and names of instruments.

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF SUCH SEARCHES

More Examples of other Keyword Searches

Additional examples of keyword searchers for finding scores

• brahms 118 (will find scores containing Brahms’s op. 118)
• “nozze di figaro” (using "" will find records containing the phrase)
• brahms intermezz? (example of truncation using the question mark sign)
• trios clarinet bassoon

The Gilmore Music Library is where you will find the most of Yale's music collections as well as staff to help you use them.