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 branch site and music research portal provide easy access to stream music, find and use digital scores, and conduct research with online sources. Librarians are happy to provide course-related instruction, research strategy and reference help, and tours. You may also subscribe to our newsletter and browse past issues.

The Archive of Recorded Sound (ARS), on the lower level of the Music Library, houses more than 450,000 historic sound recordings with broad coverage of diverse musical styles, along with piano rolls, published materials, and archival manuscript collections pertaining to music and sound. There is a reading room for individual and small-group study along with technology for engaging with the Archive of Recorded Sound’s historic media collections. ARS staff offer support for research on all levels for Stanford and beyond and work with faculty to offer class sessions, including demonstrations of our player piano and antique phonographs.

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. 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.