UC Berkeley Music Library, Collections

Jean Gray Hargrove
Music Library

Facilities and Access

Collections

Founded in 1947 as a branch of the University Library, the Music Library was located on the second floor of Morrison Hall from 1957 until July 6, 2004, when the Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library opened to the public. Its collections today contain some 180,000 volumes of books and printed music, 50,000 sound and video recordings, and 30,000 microforms in addition to extensive special holdings of manuscripts, rare materials, and archives. The collection serves the diverse teaching and research needs of the UC Berkeley Department of Music, which offers a general undergraduate major and graduate programs in musicology, ethnomusicology, and composition, as well as embracing a variety of performance activities.

For further information please consult the select bibliography concerning UCB Music Library collections and special holdings, as well as the informal discussion of the first fifty years of collection building at the Berkeley Music Library, 1947-1997.

List of Recent Acquisitions generated by Pathfinder, in call number order
Submit a Purchase Recommendation or use printed forms available at the Reference Desk

Use of the Collections

The majority of materials in the Hargrove Music Library—with the notable exception of sound and video recordings, periodicals, microforms, and special collections—circulate for use outside the library. Borrowing materials requires a current UC Berkeley Library card. For UCB students a valid UCB photo ID acts as a library card. Other borrowers must have a current library card issued by the Privileges Desk at Doe Library. Visitors are welcome to use collections on site.

The catalog of the Music Library's holdings, excluding certain special collections, can be consulted online using either Melvyl, the union catalog of University of California Libraries, or UC Berkeley's local catalog, GLADIS (available in both telnet and Pathfinder web formats). Archival Finding Aids provide greater description of the Music Library's more than 85 archival collections focusing on the history of music in the San Francisco Bay Area. Manuscript holdings are partially described in RISM A/II (UCB access only) and in several printed catalogs.

Material in open stacks (Upper and Lower Floors) is arranged according to the Library of Congress classification. The location of materials within the building is indicated on individual floor plans of the ground level, entry (first) level, and upper (second) levels. Special materials are obtained at the locations indicated in the following table.

For... ...Go To Availability

Archives Reference Desk allow two workdays
M-F, 9am - 4:45pm
restricted use

Manuscripts Reference Desk M-F, 9am - 4:45pm
restricted use

Case X Circulation Desk M-F, 9am - 4:45pm
restricted use

Case M/Mb Circulation Desk restricted use

Multiple Copies Circulation Desk Music Library hours

NRLF Circulation Desk or
Pathfinder Catalog allow two workdays

Reserves Circulation Desk Music Library hours

Sather Tower Circulation Desk allow two workdays

Sound/Video Recordings Circulation Desk Music Library hours

Sound/Video Equipment Listening Room,
Entry Level Music Library hours

Unbound Periodicals Display Shelves,
Upper Level Music Library hours