Operabase

Interested in opera performances?  You might want to search the extensive international listings of Operabase for performances by opera, composer, artist or location.  Maybe you’d like to browse the many opera festivals taking place throughout the year or search the archive of over 240,000 opera productions catalogued since 1996.

Digital Sheet Music

If you need any sheet music that is not in the Library, then do come and see the Music Subject Librarian to see if we can digitally download it from our Institutional subscription.

Please note that the subscription content is mainly traditional classical music. 

If you need more popular music, then the Librarian is always willing to order in sheet music that is available for purchase.

Current Research in Jazz

Current Research in Jazz is a new online open-access journal which publishes articles in original jazz research.  It is peer-reviewed and designed to support original  jazz scholarship.  Articles are added to the current year’s volume on a rolling basis.  See  Volume 1 (2009), which includes articles on Jazz Filmography and the Jazz Transformations of the ii⁷-V⁷-I Progression (Sibelius software used for examples).

A link to the journal is available on the Music Library Subject Resources pages in Portia, under Music Websites.

New Catalogue: Search by Music Score

You will notice that all the catalogue terminals in the Library are now linking to the new version of our Library Catalogue. The new version has an important feature for Music students in that you can now limit your search to Music Scores.

You will needs to use the Adavanced search by clicking the more search options link under the search box, then use the drop-down menu on the Format search box to select Music Scores.  

If you have already completed a search, you can narrow it by Music Score Format with the options on the left of the screen.

New Library Catalogue

We will shortly go live with our new library catalogue, however you can test it out now by using the link below:

http://prism.talis.com/chi-ac

The new catalogue has a range of features including book-jackets and search term links.  However a particularly useful feature for music students is the ability to limit your search by the format of a ‘music score’. 

We will be running both versions of the catalogue for the next couple of weeks so you can get used to the differences, and then we’ll move to the new catalogue permanently.  Do ask the Librarians if you have any questions or need help finding resources.

What’s New in Grove

Grove Music Online has added over 100 articles from the forthcoming 2nd edn. of the Grove Dictionary of American Music.  The first edition is widely considered to be the definitive reference work on the subject, and the new articles include entries on composers, conductors, band music and social dance forms (including boogaloo, walk-around and eagle-rock).

Access to Grove Online is through Portia as usual.

Festival Market Report

Please note that the 2009 UK Festival Market Report is in the UK Festival Handbook at Oversize 338.4791 UKF.  The Oversize section is after Quick Reference on the 1st floor of the Library.  In addition we have:

Continental Drifts: Artists, Music, Production: International Performance and Production Directory, Vol. 9 – Oversize 338.4791 CON, and
International Showcase 2009: The Music Business Guide - 338.4778 INT

Using the Online Library Off-Site

Most of the Library’s online resources can be accessed off-site during the vacation period.

Check the Login Help Sheet links under the resources you want to use so you can access them successfully.

Subject Librarians will be here whenever the Library is open if you have any logging in problems. For information about our Christmas Opening Times, click the ‘Opening Times’ link on the left menu on the Library Services Home page in Portia.

Study Skills E-Books

In addition to our large number of hard copy library books on study skills we also now have many e-books on the subject available on our Dawsonera database. These include the following titles:

Biggam, J. – Succeeding with your Master’s dissertation (2008)
Creme, P. – Writing at University (2008)
Denscombe, M. – The good research guide (2007)
Gilbert, G. – From postgraduate to social scientist (2006)
Jamieson, C. – Managing dyslexia at University (2007)
Levin, P. – Conquer study stress (2007)
Levin, P. – Write great essays! (2004)
Neville, C. – How to improve your assignment results (2008)
Powell, S. – Returning to study for a research degree (2008)
Race, P. – How to get a good degree (2008)
Rugg, G. – The stress-free guide to studying at University (2008)
Rumsey, S. – How to find information (2008)
Talbot, C. – Studying at a distance (2007)

Access to Dawsonera is through Portia in the usual way.  The full Dawsonera login procedure is shown on the Login Help Sheet link under Dawsonera  link on the Electronic Resources page.  Please see your Subject Librarian if you have any queries.

Open until Midnight!

From this week until the 17th December the Learning Resource Centre will be open until midnight (Monday to Thursday). This will mean that you will be able to work in the library or the computer rooms up until this time. Do remember though, the library issue counter will close at 9.45pm if you need to take any items home.

Music, Sound and the Moving Image

Project MUSE® has recently acquired the journal, Music, Sound and the Moving Image.  This is the first international scholarly journal to study the interaction between music and sound with the entirety of moving image media – film, television, music video, advertising, computer games, mixed-media installation, digital art, live cinema et al.  Back issues are available from the first issue, Vol.1, No.1 Spring, 2007. 

Take a look at the current Table of Contents:
Vol.3, No.1, Spring, 2009

Access to the full-text of all of the above is available through Portia in the usual way.

Access to Electronic Resources

Enquiries to the Library HelpDesk are showing that students are having problems accessing our Electronic Resources following the introduction of Shibboleth, the new authentication system.  Please use the Login Help Sheet links under each of the relevant databases on the Electronic Resources page in Portia.  Printed copies of these sheets are also available in the Library.