Shelflisting Music

Book excerpt: Library music materials require a more complex shelflisting approach than books in order to account for extremely prolific composers, works with generic titles, opus numbers, and thematic index numbers. Shelflisting Music provides clear, straightforward instructions and flowcharts to guide the cataloger through the process of shelflisting music—whether in score or recorded format—enabling anyone to produce call numbers that are consistent, accurate, and in accordance with standard Library of Congress "M" classification practices. After a brief explanation of the conceptual basis of music shelflisting, Richard P. Smiraglia brings together and clarifies shelflisting practices that are otherwise difficult to find or understand, providing concise and easy-to-follow instructions for assigning shelflist numbers. Smiraglia also includes a glossary of terms, as well as flowcharts to illustrate the process graphically. This small, easily accessible book can be kept by a computer workstation and consulted quickly for shelflisting guidance by anyone who catalogs music materials, from novices to experts.