Music in Canada : Research Guide [Queen's MUSIC Library WEB page] [Queen's Libraries Home Page]

MUSIC

Blue eighth note on music staffMusic in Canada : Research guide

Reference sources QCAT searching Audio-Visual resources Periodical Indexes & Internet resources Bibliography: general Bibliography: topical

Selected Reference Sources

QCAT Searching

The Queen's Library online catalogue provides access to the Music Library collection.
  • Search by Author, Title, Subject or Keyword(s) to access scores, books, journals, audio visual materials, microforms, etc.

  • Keyword(s) searches: combine composer and/or title and subject terms. To avoid retrieving sound recordings add "not disc" to your search string. e.g. music and canad? not disc. This search will retrieve the scores and historical, critical, and analytical works about music in Canada. Using the question mark (?) symbol to truncate the root of a word retrieves different word endings (singular, plural, etc.) and broadens the search results.

  • Knowing that scores are classified in call numbers beginning with "M" and books on history and criticism in "ML" and books on music theory, composition, education and studies/exercises are in "MT" will help you recognize the item you want in the list of catalogue records displayed.

  • Library of Congress SUBJECT HEADINGS and CLASSIFICATION numbers

    are assigned to most items in the Library as they are catalogued. All academic libraries in North America use this same subject classification/headings scheme.
  • You can search QCAT by SUBJECT or CALL NUMBER. Or, browse the shelves (regular stacks and Reference area) under the call numbers suggested below.

    • Searching the SUBJECT index in QCAT for Canadian music topics

    Following are some Library of Congress subject headings plus the corresponding Library of Congress classification or Call number.
  • Music --Canada (ML205 or ML3563 for national/ethnic musics)
  • Music --Canada --Bibliography (ML106 .C2 or .C3)
  • Music --Canada --Discography (ML156 -- this no. is divided by topic not country)
  • Composers --Canada (ML410 -- Biographical/historical/critical works on composers, arranged alphabetically by composer regardless of nationality)
  • Musicians --Canada (ML385 -- ML406 -- here are found biographies of performers, conductors, historians, publishers, etc. -- not subdivided by country of origin)
  • You can also add a subdivision for a province to your searches. For example, Music --Quebec
  • Folk music --Canada --History and criticism (ML3563) and ML205) OR Folk songs, English --Canada --History and criticism OR Folk dance music --Canada --History and criticism.
  • Music --Instruction and study --Canada (MT3 .C2 or C3 for books on music education in Canada)
  • You can also search the SUBJECT index under the NAMES of composers, performers, etc. to retrieve only materials ABOUT them. For example, Beckwith

  • Using the keyword search may still be preferable for Canadian topics/names if there are not many items in the online catalogue. In the case of a name search, you will retrieve a list of publications both by and about the person and in all formats (books, scores, recordings, etc.) + some items that may be totally irrelevant. The advantage of a keyword search is that the list of records is displayed in reverse chronological order, most recent publications first.

    • Audio-Visual resources

    For general guidelines on searching the online catalogue, see the sections in the Introductory Guide re AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDINGS