Music Libraries

The Music Library provides research support for all aspects of music scholarship. Collections include over 140,000 books and scores, 30,000 sound and video recordings, and an increasing amount of digital content.  Our website provides a portal to streaming media databases, digitized score collections, online reference tools, and notable collections and acquisitions. Keep up to date with our music blog stream and enjoy our occasional newsletter. Librarians are happy to provide course-related instruction, research strategy and reference help, and tours.

The Archive of Recorded Sound's collection contains over 400,000 items that span sound recording history--from its beginnings to the present day. Nearly all formats ever developed to record sound are represented: reproducing piano rolls; wax cylinders; shellac, acetate, aluminum, and vinyl discs; magnetic wire and tape recordings; and compact discs. Archival collections are particularly strong in the areas of jazz and opera. Browse collection highlights; view the phonograph gallery; and keep up to date with our sound recordings blog stream. Archive staff can assist in identifying recordings, arranging playback, and providing small-group instruction and equipment demonstrations.

Green Library’s Department of Special Collections houses Stanford’s rare music materials, including the Memorial Library of Music, a collection of over 1,800 printed and manuscript scores of operas, symphonic works, chamber music, and choral works by major composers from the 17th to 20th centuries, including Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Brahms, Mascagni, Debussy, and Stravinsky. An increasing number of works are being made available online. Please visit Rare Music Materials at Stanford to find highest-quality digital images for close viewing and download. Please contact Ray Heigemeir, Public Services Librarian for Music, for initial assistance in identifying materials, requesting reproductions, and arranging class visits.