Halvorson Music Library: Call number guide by instrument/voice

Do you ever find yourself looking for just violin teaching materials, or percussion music for your next lesson? Are you ever overwhelmed by the collection and don't know where to find things, or confused by the call number system? Well, seek no further!

This guide, made in collaboration with Katie Marshall (Class of 2021), breaks down our Halvorson Music Library collection by instrument or voice, with helpful information about relevant call numbers and what they stand for! Click the tabs to your left to navigate the e-reader-friendly pages, organized in alphabetical order.

Have questions about our collection or need help finding something? Don't hesitate to speak with a circulation staff member, email the music library at music-library@stolaf.edu, or chat with a librarian at go.stolaf.edu/chat!

Call numbers are how libraries organize their collections, and know where each item lives!

Our library uses the Library of Congress classification system, which starts with a letter or two (which represents the relevant subject), followed by a combination of numbers and letters. 

Music has three types of call numbers:

• M: Music scores
• ML: Music literature, or books about music/musicians
• MT: Music teaching materials (pedagogies, method books, technique books, etc.)

Every music item will begin with one of these!