“At-A-Glance” Music Library

What if you could find the section of violin music scores simply by glancing at the shelves? This presentation will explain how library users may locate the section where their musical instrument’s scores are shelved by color. This color-coding scheme allows the user to browse scores very easily. In particular, it shows how solo pieces (e.g. violin & piano) and concerti (full score and piano reduction score) are shelved in different sections. The color is determined by instrument or type of ensemble. For example, we coded the violin music green and string quartet music red. This color is applied to the spine of the pamphlet-bound scores by using bookcraft tape. For the scores, which need professional library binding, a similar buckram color is chosen. This is a practical solution for a music library with a small musical score collection and for music faculty and students who are not familiar with the Library of Congress Classification.