Reframing Twenty-First Century Music Libraries: Reflections and Imaginings

This proposed volume aims to provide a functional overview of music libraries generally, including their cultural history and role in society, while discussing current practices and issues that affect the work of music libraries. Music libraries have transformed, especially throughout the last 50—60 years, as libraries, music technologies, means of music discovery and access, and society itself have rapidly changed. While books and articles cover various aspects of the music librarianship profession, no single volume provides an overview of music libraries and the history of their development and role in larger society outside of the context of career development in the music library profession. Though this volume will touch on related topics, it is not intended to be a book about music librarianship professional development or training.<br><br>This volume will include an introduction to current and past conversations surrounding music libraries, documenting their history and function within larger society in the 20th century and into the 21st. The volume will also include discussions, as detailed in the chapter descriptions, of different types of music libraries, the evolving nature of music libraries and their collections, metadata for music collections, and the role and development of music information literacy in music libraries. Contemporary issues for music libraries will include individual chapters on copyright and its impact on the work of music libraries, issues of evolving modes of access for music materials and the impact of open access initiatives, especially for scores and sound recordings, and advocacy, especially as it relates to these particular topics. Each chapter’s discussion will include a review of each topic’s historical development, in addition to current considerations, such as the issues that impact remote access to music library resources and services (e.g., copyright, changing modes of access such as streaming audio, digital scores, etc.). Furthermore, this volume will explore and examine ways in which past practices (e.g., cataloging and description standards, collection development practices, etc.) in music libraries have reinforced whiteness and cultural hegemony. Where music collections are discussed, the focus of the proposed volume will be on those formats that are unique to music, i.e., scores and sound recordings, since these require special consideration. Chapters will include suggested resources for a more in-depth pursuit of topics.