Library Guide for Music
Contents

INTRODUCTION
DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR TOPIC?
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BOOKS ON YOUR TOPIC?
USE THE CATALOGUE
BROWSE THE LIBRARY SHELVES
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR JOURNAL ARTICLES ON YOUR TOPIC?
BROWSING JOURNALS
USING DATABASES
OTHER RESOURCES

INTRODUCTION

This guide will help you locate information in the area of Music. You may need to use both print and electronic resources to obtain the information you need. The guide is an introduction only and students should ask Library staff for assistance if needed.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR TOPIC?

Dictionaries and encyclopaedias are a good starting point for research. They give definitions and provide background material that will assist you in understanding your topic.

Some useful reference books in the Music area are:

The Australian encyclopedia of rock and pop
A Dictionary of Australian music
The Grove concise dictionary of music
The illustrated encyclopedia of music
Music : an illustrated encyclopedia of musical instruments and the great composers
Music an illustrated history : an encyclopedia of musical instruments and the art of music-making
The new Rolling Stone encyclopedia of rock & roll
The Oxford companion to music
The Oxford dictionary of musical terms
The Penguin dictionary of music

Check the Library catalogue to see if a particular reference book is held in your Campus Library.

Via the Internet, you can find definitions of music terms online.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BOOKS ON YOUR TOPIC?

Books provide detailed information on a subject. You can locate them by using the Library catalogue or browsing the shelves.

USE THE CATALOGUE

To locate material (including books, magazines and videos) use the terms from your topic in a general keyword search of the Library catalogue. For a more structured approach use the following headings for a subject search of the Library catalogue.

Composers
Composition--Music
Electronic music
Harmony
Instrumental music
Music--Australia
Music--Dictionaries
Music--20th century
Musical instruments
Music trade
Singing
Sound--Recording and reproducing
Vocal music

BROWSE THE LIBRARY SHELVES

By browsing the Library shelves you can get an idea of what the Library has in your area. Dewey numbers that you may find useful in the Music area are:

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR JOURNAL ARTICLES ON YOUR TOPIC?

Journals are also known as magazines, serials and periodicals.

Journals provide up to date information and cover recent developments in that subject area. For some areas they are the best source of information.

To locate journal articles you can browse (look through whole issues), or search for journal articles in databases.

BROWSING JOURNALS

Some journals that may be useful in the Music area are:

Check the catalogue or with Library staff to see if these or other journals are held in your Campus Library.

USING DATABASES

Databases are electronic indexes to journals and other resources. Some databases offer the full text of the article whilst others will provide only information about articles.

Electronic databases that may be useful in the Music area are:

Australian New Zealand Reference Centre
Australian Public Affairs - Full Text
Electric Library Australia
InfoTrac OneFile

Details of how to access these databases are available from your campus library.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNET?

INTRODUCING WEBLINKS

The Internet provides access to a vast amount of information. Websites providing this information range from reliable and authoritative to less reputable sites. Weblinks is a collection of websites, covering a range of topics, selected by North Coast Institute library staff for their relevance and reliability.

Some Weblinks topics that you may find useful are:

Music
Radio and television

Or you can select from the Weblinks for Music page.