# How good is your public library's classical music collection?



## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

How good is your public library's classical music collection? I live in SLC and the downtown public library probably has around 15,000-20,000 classical music CD's based on a mere guess. For me, that provides me an endless round of listening .


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## Dustin (Mar 30, 2012)

I'm not quite sure about my public library but to bring up something related, I just started at University of Houston and my God, I've never seen anything quite like this music library we have. I'm sure compared to Curtis or some of those places, it's nothing, but to me it's unreal. I'm less interested in their audio since I have Spotify, but the amount of sheet music and books they have is amazing.


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## DiesIraeCX (Jul 21, 2014)

Dustin said:


> I'm not quite sure about my public library but to bring up something related, I just started at University of Houston and my God, I've never seen anything quite like this music library we have. I'm sure compared to Curtis or some of those places, it's nothing, but to me it's unreal. I'm less interested in their audio since I have Spotify, but the amount of sheet music and books they have is amazing.


University of Houston? Great to hear! I graduated from there, spent a looooot of time in Agnes Arnold Hall, if you're in the Humanities, you'll spend some time there too. Best of luck to you.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Unfortunately because of the all taxes are evil crowd the budget for the county libraries have been slashed.


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## Dustin (Mar 30, 2012)

DiesIraeVIX said:


> University of Houston? Great to hear! I graduated from there, spent a looooot of time in Agnes Arnold Hall, if you're in the Humanities, you'll spend some time there too. Best of luck to you.


Oh awesome! Yeah I walk by that building every day but I don't have any classes in it yet. I took a couple Humanities classes at my last college and I'm doing accounting now so I'm not sure if I will. I love the whole campus though. It's great. Anyway, nice to know and appreciate that!


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

The public library has an enormous collection. I admit that I have barely tapped this incredible resource, due to my own personal collection, that has gotten more than overwhelming. I have the feeling that the library is not adding to the collection as they once did, which is a shame. I have noticed some discs, of the few I have borrowed more recently, looking sorely in need of replacement. However, the library has subscribed to Naxos Music Library, Hoopla and a few other services, that permit streaming of oodles and oodles of classical music, as well as all kinds of other ebook, audiobook, audio and multimedia resources, directly from home, or anywhere, via wifi or a smart phone with an internet plan. The amount of media available for free with a library card is many times more than anyone could consume in multiple lifetimes.

Why would anyone bother to collect CDs (or any other format)? I guess I grew up doing so and still enjoy having a collection of my own. For me, it's more about selecting items for my personal collection that I wish to enjoy on the long term, as opposed to having access to everything and never really settling on anything.


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

It has quite a few books about music, but no CDs.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

arpeggio said:


> Unfortunately because of the all taxes are evil crowd the budget for the county libraries have been slashed.


Taxes are wonderful? Maybe not so much if you pay them. My view is that libraries are becoming less important as public services for very simple reasons. This was pretty obviously coming a decade ago. Yes, you can get free Internet and entertainment (read: CDs and DVDs) but as a means to an educated electorate, which was their original purpose, not so much any more. Both my kids got through high school, quite few years ago, by doing their research on the Internet and hardly ever (maybe never) visited a library.

My family couldn't afford an encyclopedia in the old days and I had to go downtown to the library even to read the Britannica. Times have changed! As far as I'm concerned, anybody wanting music or the latest best-seller can buy it, or most probably get it on the Internet easily enough. Yes...why should I pay for your music listening?


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

^^^^^^
Surprise! Surprise! Another issue we disagree on.

I really do not mind paying taxes when they are used to pay for schools, libraries, roads, fire departments and even some entitlement programs.

Any ways taxes has nothing to do with this discussion and I apologize for bringing it up.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I'm happy you enjoy paying taxes. However, please note I was speaking only of libraries, not other services.


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## omega (Mar 13, 2014)

In the small town where I live, there is an interesting library, with lots of baroque music (but not much romantic & contemporary CDs)... but there are so few people that they start to archive them!


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

My mother works there. I'm one of their music suggesters. 

I'm just gonna be slightly arrogant and say it's SO GOOD now


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

The Seattle Public library is huge, about 10 or 11 stories I think. It has a great music selection.

It looks pretty fudgin cool too.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

violadude said:


> The Seattle Public library is huge, about 10 or 11 stories I think.


Rem Koolhaas building. If anyone's looking for a fun book about architecture, btw, "Delirious New York" is terrific:

http://www.amazon.com/Delirious-New...8&qid=1417084680&sr=8-3&keywords=rem+koolhaas

Have to envy the New Yorkers on the forum: the NYPL must be the best public library in the world, with a fantastic music collection (though it probably doesn't satisfy the Juilliard students).


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

I am the "public library" for classical music where I live, me thinks the local library only have 500 CD's total (But they have Naxos Library Service), so when someone asks about unusual Classical music there, they send'em down my lane... That's livin' in the country for ya!

/ptr


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

ptr said:


> I am the "public library" for classical music where I live, me thinks the local library only have 500 CD's total (But they have Naxos Library Service), so when someone asks about unusual Classical music there, they send'em down my lane... That's livin' in the country for ya!
> 
> /ptr


You must be famous on that little Swedish island!


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

In Copenhagen, the library system is very comprehensive, due to the 1.8 mio. population of the Greater Copenhagen Region & the status of being a capital and a high-profile educational area.

There are two main general public libraries, one in Copenhagen centre and one in the Frederiksberg municipality centre, plus dozens of local and specialized libraries besides that, also some focusing on special subjects.

I hardly frequent their music collections any more though, due to what I own and buy myself. They also have a good selection of magazines, which I will sometimes have a look on.

Regrettably, now and then they sell out elder material and books, due to lack of space for new acquisitions - not always well-considered, since it can be valuable or rare.

There´s one overall portal for all Danish libraries, though in Danish only: https://bibliotek.dk/
besides the local ones which have English website menus. "Francesco Geminiani" for example gets 225 hits.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

OP: Is this a joke? Usually a pile of old, dusty jackets and the CD's within are a bunch of scratched crap.

The word "neglect" comes readily to mind.

Whenever I buy used CD's and I see they are from a "library", I eliminate them from purchase consideration.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Nashville has a pretty good selection; just about everyone you'd be looking for is there, both in CDs and DVDs. I'm not sure how up to date they are on recent recordings. Of course, as hpowders said, I think people take them home and use them for target practice.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> You must be famous on that little Swedish island!


Not really, classical music buffs are far and few between here!

/ptr


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

hpowders said:


> OP: Is this a joke? Usually a pile of old, dusty jackets and the CD's within are a bunch of scratched crap.
> 
> The word "neglect" comes readily to mind.
> 
> Whenever I buy used CD's and I see they are from a "library", I eliminate them from purchase consideration.


Somehow at the SLC Public Library I never seem to have that issue here. CDs are kept in good condition and the only scratched CDs I encountered so far is the Complete 60's Blue Note sessions box set by Dexter Gordon . However all the classical CDs have been in very good shape. People take good care of them.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

My hometown library is pretty impressive in terms of its classical section. A lot of my music comes from there. Along with the expected powerhouses, there's a reasonable selection of the occasional repertoire, and a few obscure works. I.e., Schmidt's first two symphonies are there, and Corigliano's first.

The branch of the Chicago library near me is kinda sad. They have a smaller collection, with more mainstream works. I haven't had time to visit the Harold Washington Library downtown yet, but I'm sure theirs will be fantastic


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

ptr said:


> I am the "public library" for classical music where I live, me thinks the local library only have 500 CD's total (But they have Naxos Library Service), so when someone asks about unusual Classical music there, they send'em down my lane... That's livin' in the country for ya!
> 
> /ptr


Our public library serves a village of about 200 people, so it has no music at all (and is open only three afternoons per week). Fortunately, my university has the very same Naxos Library, which I can access both in the office and at home.

That's livin' in the country in the 21st century for ya!


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I should mention that the university library has a COLOSSAL collection, but, last time I checked, only music students and active students could take them out. There has been a trend in the past few years to allow public access to all public holdings, which includes university libraries and all municipal libraries in the province, but, last time I tried, it only applied to books, not audiovisual materials. With the recent issuance of a new interlibrary card, this will hopefully have changed.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

brotagonist said:


> I should mention that the university library has a COLOSSAL collection, but, last time I checked, only music students and active students could take them out. There has been a trend in the past few years to allow public access to all public holdings, which includes university libraries and all municipal libraries in the province, but, last time I tried, it only applied to books, not audiovisual materials. With the recent issuance of a new interlibrary card, this will hopefully have changed.


Yeah you couldn't check out the recordings from the Vanderbilt Blair School of Music library back in the early 2000's. Sad but considering that they need to protect their investment it is a good idea.  Still the SLC Public Library has their collection beat.


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## DaDirkNL (Aug 26, 2013)

Non-existent in our miserable library.


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## opus55 (Nov 9, 2010)

Is SLC a famous place that everyone knows but me?

Anyways, our far-suburban town public library is probably on a shrinking budget as well. I'd say no more than 5000 classical music CD's. They have some good recordings but it's not a great selection. On the way to the library there are car dealerships like BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Porsche, etc (meaning that the library serves rich neighborhoods) but library selection in general is thin.. They do offer Naxos Music Library and a bunch of other online media services.


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## Levanda (Feb 3, 2014)

In my city of Nottingham library got large selections of Classical CDs, I don't know the number but choose is huge. Not much selection about opera dvds but is ok. I should not complain about that plenty to borrow for little cost. I used often libraries best place to be.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

To give an example of the depth of the SLC library collection here is a search result for Sviatoslav Richter.

http://catalog.slcpl.org/search/searchresults.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.6&type=Keyword&term=Sviatoslav%20Richter&by=KW&sort=RELEVANCE&limit=TOM=*&query=&page=0&searchid=2


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Most all of the offerings in our local libraries are damaged or scratched beyond repair. 

I've had the best luck though at thrift/charity shops ... usually in very good condition and for bargain prices, too. 
Some of the best CD's in thrift/charity shops come from estate sales ... and one owner.


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## opus55 (Nov 9, 2010)

albertfallickwang said:


> To give an example of the depth of the SLC library collection here is a search result for Sviatoslav Richter.
> 
> http://catalog.slcpl.org/search/searchresults.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.6&type=Keyword&term=Sviatoslav%20Richter&by=KW&sort=RELEVANCE&limit=TOM=*&query=&page=0&searchid=2


That looks awesome. I live far from Chicago city so I don't have access to the big library. Even if I did I probably won't bother going unless it's within 15 minute walk. So SLC=Salt Lake City


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Krummhorn said:


> Most all of the offerings in our local libraries are damaged or scratched beyond repair.
> 
> I've had the best luck though at thrift/charity shops ... usually in very good condition and for bargain prices, too.
> Some of the best CD's in thrift/charity shops come from estate sales ... and one owner.


I must be lucky that the classical CD's at the SLC public library haven't been damaged. In fact, CD's are checked out frequently (because all of the latest acquisitions are checked out) and I haven't had any trouble listening to any of those in my computer.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

One really needs to live in a big city to find an adequate classical collection in a public library.

I used to live in NYC and the Fifth Avenue Library was one of the best in the world.

Now I'm in a provincial little town and the collection is laughable.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

For albums I can't get at the library, there is always iTunes for me to explore nicely


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## echmain (Jan 18, 2013)

The discs at my local libraries look like they were used to make an ice skating rink.

Are library patrons really that careless?

Do they listen to a CD of Bach concertos and then reach for the steel wool?


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Three words... inter library loan.


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

I live in the suburbs and I use the library services of two cities. And the inter library loan system works well. I have a fairly good selection to choose from. But I have taken CDs only to find many scratched and not working. Do library patrons use their CDs as beer coasters? Also there are a few operas, and documentaries about composers.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

If you happen to visit Singapore, go to Esplanade building and reach the library on 3rd floor. There are amazingly large collections of classical musics in CD/DVD, and also scores. This is a public library managed by the Singapore National Library, which I really impressed by their management and resources.


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## satoru (May 29, 2014)

Public libraries local around here all have nice classical CD collections (Berkeley, Contra Costa, Oakland, San Francisco, to list few). As whole, they cover broad range of genre to pick up from. 
UC Berkeley has enormous collection, especially sheet music. I just started exploring them.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

echmain said:


> The discs at my local libraries look like they were used to make an ice skating rink.
> 
> Are library patrons really that careless?
> 
> Do they listen to a CD of Bach concertos and then reach for the steel wool?


My experience is that most folks treat their CDs and LPs poorly. When they don't even own them, they really treat them like crap.


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## cjvinthechair (Aug 6, 2012)

Member 'Levanda' - don't suppose you mean Nottingham, England, do you ? Wish that might be so, as vitually no public libraries in this philistine country have even a semblance of a classical section. I travel to Birmingham (100 miles away) to enjoy an occasional forage through a halfway-decent selection.
Do have, in fairness, through one of my memberships, access to Naxos...& it doesn't get much better(if, dishonourably, you have a decent 'record' programme for on-line music !).
Generally, though, if you live in the UK, the answer to the original question is 'virtually non-existent'.


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## billeames (Jan 17, 2014)

My Kirkland library has in symphony section a shelf. Laughable. But its part of a county wide system where others can be ordered. CD's are harshly scratched generally, patrons generally trash them. I had better luck in a small town in Florida in 1981 for LP's (not part of a county wide system).


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Today was a good day at the library... found the complete Brahms symphony cycle conducted by Chailly which means we are getting the latest and greatest.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

albertfallickwang said:


> Today was a good day at the library... found the complete Brahms symphony cycle conducted by Chailly which means we are getting the latest and greatest.


I like the Chailly cycle, although some may say it's a bit too "objective." With Brahms, that fine by me.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

KenOC said:


> I like the Chailly cycle, although some may say it's a bit too "objective." With Brahms, that fine by me.


My friend Ben has the Rattle cycle for Brahms and I have yet to compare those two.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

In the days of vinyl our local library had an impressive range of classical and jazz lp's The change over to CD however coincided with massive budget cuts resulting in a pitiful selection of cd's being purchased. Also there was an observable 'Dumbing Down' of the literary section. ie a dozen copies of Harry Potter and very few classics. 

The only plus point was that the Library sold off its lp's for next to nothing. I managed to rescue quite a few box sets and albums providing no one had used them as frisbees or dinner plates!


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

albertfallickwang said:


> How good is your public library's classical music collection? I live in SLC and the downtown public library probably has around 15,000-20,000 classical music CD's based on a mere guess. For me, that provides me an endless round of listening .


That's amazing. SLC looking better all the time.
I live in a small suburb immediately west of Chicago. We have a couple of hundred, including several dozen that I donated in periodic bursts of collection purging.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

My downtown public library has a great selection of modernist classical music. I got my hands on so much stuff a couple of years ago, some of which I never would have discovered even with my involvement in this forum. Like Alexander Tcherepnin's piano concerti and symphonies.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

My local public library's selection is O.K. There have a few hundred classical CDs. Many of them are badly scratched, but the majority are still playable. 

A few years ago, I paid a few bucks to join the Atlanta/Fulton County library as a non-resident. They had a HUGE selection of classical CDs, especially at the main library location downtown. Good selection of jazz too.


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

arpeggio said:


> ^^^^^^
> 
> I really do not mind paying taxes when they are used to pay for schools, libraries, roads, fire departments and even some entitlement programs.
> 
> Any ways t*axes has nothing to do with this discussion* and I apologize for bringing it up.


That's right, taxes do not pay for anything.

Government expenditure does.

Too much dissing of English Libraries here. My provincial town library enabled me to create my collection of classical music at a time when I couldn't afford to buy CDs.

Time has moved on though, and maybe with YT, Spotify etc there is no longer the same need.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Actually the SLC public library suffers more with the jazz box set selection since quite a few of those were lost or stolen. The classical section is way more impressive by far. Sadly enough, I admit that I have a hard time to find a few new recordings because a few discs got lost such as the Grimaud Beethoven Emperor Concerto recording. But overall still pretty invaluable.

Note that the SLC rap and reggae selections are kept behind the librarian desk because apparently those discs are stolen the most.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

Absolute rubbish! Just a few CD's, and those are just standard Classic FM / car boot sale fayre.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Wow it's hard to believe that the great majority of libraries worldwide have poor selection of classical music :\


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

the library I enrolled in Budapest has 25646 CDs and 1667 DVDs. I go for the (opera) DVDs, i can lend 8 DVDs at once. (they have 307 opera DVDs. I used advanced search.)

the library in my town has only 63 opera DVDs, and I can lend only 2 at once.


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

an other library in Budapest has 517 opera DVDs, but only a few can be lend for copyright reasons.
you can watch the DVDs in the library in front of a small tv with headphones. what a waste!


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I don't know what our local library facilities are. Long ago in the days of vinyl we used to use our public library's classical music department, but then we were accused falsely of scratching an LP and forced to buy it by means of a fine. We didn't mind that, as it was a nice record (Music of the French Court, 16th century), but it did make us think twice about using the library again.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

SLC public library totally awesome. I asked them to order about $600 worth of CD's to add to their collection including:

Enchanted forest
by Prohaska, Anna.	Main Library	Active 
(since 12/29/2014)	1 of 1 
Request Details	Format image	Behind the lines
by Schneider, Eric.	Main Library	Active 
(since 12/29/2014)	1 of 1 
PRAYER
by SOL GABETTA	Main Library	Active 
(since 1/12/2015)	1 of 1 
Request Details	Format image	COMPLETE BILL EVANS ON VER	Main Library	Active 
(since 1/12/2015)	1 of 1 
Request Details	Format image	COMPLETE RECORDINGS
by MAHLER / PAO / SINOPOLI	Main Library	Active 
(since 1/12/2015)	1 of 1 
Request Details	Format image	Beethoven: complete piano sonatas
by Lim, Hj.	Main Library	Active 
(since 1/12/2015)	1 of 1 
FEMALE PORTRAITS
by ROSCHMANN, DOROTHEA	Main Library	Active 
(since 1/14/2015)	1 of 1


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

KenOC said:


> Taxes are wonderful? Maybe not so much if you pay them. My view is that libraries are becoming less important as public services for very simple reasons. This was pretty obviously coming a decade ago. Yes, you can get free Internet and entertainment (read: CDs and DVDs) but as a means to an educated electorate, which was their original purpose, not so much any more. Both my kids got through high school, quite few years ago, by doing their research on the Internet and hardly ever (maybe never) visited a library.
> 
> My family couldn't afford an encyclopedia in the old days and I had to go downtown to the library even to read the Britannica. Times have changed! As far as I'm concerned, anybody wanting music or the latest best-seller can buy it, or most probably get it on the Internet easily enough. Yes...why should I pay for your music listening?


Uh, I dunno, maybe for the same reason you had access to and could read the Encyclopaedia Brittanica your family could not, or did not think, to afford?


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Wood said:


> That's right, taxes do not pay for anything.
> 
> Government expenditure does.


Funny, man! ________________


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Every month the library can take five suggestions for adding to their collection. Any suggestions?


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

Thanks to the public libraries of Eindhoven, Amsterdam and Middelburg I acquired my own broad taste in classical music. That was long ago when the CD was just introduced and the vinyl boxes with operas (+libretti) still looked very impressive. Nowadays the public library of Amsterdam has moved to a touristic hotspot with a marvelous panoramaview from the topfloor, but alas, the CD & DVD collection has become a shadow from the one I used to browse through...


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

hpowders said:


> OP: Is this a joke? Usually a pile of old, dusty jackets and the CD's within are a bunch of scratched crap.
> 
> The word "neglect" comes readily to mind.
> 
> Whenever I buy used CD's and I see they are from a "library", I eliminate them from purchase consideration.


I unfortunately have to agree with you, hpowders. I winter in Florida and volunteer at a local library. The collection of classical music is outstanding, but the library patrons seem to have very poor reponsibility when it comes to the care of media. In the case of CDs if there is a scratch (or snot, or coffee stains, or who knows what) we take it to dedicated CD cleaner/resurfacer; sometimes the scratch from a return is too deep and the disc must be discarded. In any case, it seems that Classical music discs are in better condition. My personal theory is that this is due to a combination of factors: Classical music listeners are more responsible; Classical music is the least listened to genre in the collection. I may be wrong in this conclusion, but it does seem to be the case.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

One of nearly 30 (I think) shelves of classical music recordings at the downtown SLC public library:


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

Although I've mentioned the sorry state of our village library, I recently visited the public library in the city where I work. There has been a change in policy and audio material can now be borrowed. And they have had the sense not to discard items just because they are "technologically obsolete". As a result I have found a treasure of old Soviet-era LPs featuring many (even more) obscure Estonian composers. Some of these LPs date from the late 1950s.

To put this in perspective for our American friends, imagine you had heard of a composer named Aaron Copland, but none of his works being available, you never heard any. Imagine further you go to your library and borrow an LP pressed in 1950 of his Clarinet Concerto - the first and only recording in existence.

To use a phrase worthy of the English Phrases thread: I am gobsmacked!


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I wish our library offered Vinyl but we only have CDs as far as I know.


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## gHeadphone (Mar 30, 2015)

Very little in the libraries in West Dublin, i need to find a good library in Ireland.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Thanks to online access, I can get CDs from libraries across the county delivered to my local one. But, the main library located in the University district alone has a huge collection. The county has 32,000 CDs. The main library has more than 90% of them.


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

Three words: INTER LIBRARY LOAN

Ask your friendly public librarian what that means.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

satoru said:


> Public libraries local around here all have nice classical CD collections (Berkeley, Contra Costa, Oakland, San Francisco, to list few). As whole, they cover broad range of genre to pick up from.
> UC Berkeley has enormous collection, especially sheet music. I just started exploring them.


I just realized I can stream opera and classical music performances from San Francisco Public Library. Time to get a card!


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## Guest (Apr 1, 2015)

My current city (Birmingham, AL), has a decent system - all the libraries in the county are linked, so one library card works for them all, and you can get any item from any library in the system shipped to your local library free of charge. But I lived before in Columbus, OH, which had a similar system, but had a much more impressive classical music collection. One library in particular had a fantastic selection - I would drive an extra 30 minutes to go to that library just to browse the shelves and pick up works that caught my eye. Alas, my current situation is not as great. Luckily I had that system when I was first introduced to the broad world of classical music, and had that incredible resource to greatly increase what I was exposed to.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

gHeadphone said:


> Very little in the libraries in West Dublin, i need to find a good library in Ireland.


The library in the ILAC Centre is probably your best bet in Dublin, though it's not great either. The city library in Cork was my, uh, dealer when I first got the classical habit, and its Dublin counterpart was a huge let-down.


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## Polyphemus (Nov 2, 2011)

Go to libcat.dublincity.ie 
got advanced search select C D type in your composer and search if what you are looking for is available it is possible to reserve it.
It is best to check *all branches*, you never know your luck.


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## Celloman (Sep 30, 2006)

My local library has a decent Classical collection. They hardly have any opera, though, which is too bad.

And then there are the scratched-up CDs. About one in every three CDs won't play all the way through, which is why I ask myself, "Is it really worth it?"

Fortunately, I have access to a statewide academic library system, so I can get recordings from pretty much every college in the state. I have also found high quality opera DVDs that way, in addition to some films that I couldn't get anywhere else. It's impossible to pass up, and it's free. It sure beats the local library.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Classical music? Where I live, deep in ******* territory, I'm not sure our main library even has books!!


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

hpowders said:


> Classical music? Where I live, deep in ******* territory, I'm not sure our main library even has books!!


A book? Saw one once, downtown it was, in one of those fancy stores. Told the boys about it back on the spread, but most of 'em didn't believe me.


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## gHeadphone (Mar 30, 2015)

Nereffid said:


> The library in the ILAC Centre is probably your best bet in Dublin, though it's not great either. The city library in Cork was my, uh, dealer when I first got the classical habit, and its Dublin counterpart was a huge let-down.


Thanks Nereffid

Ill try the Ilac centre, still looks like Tower is the best bet here.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

One thing I've noticed about libraries in the USA these days. They seem to have "evolved" into social gathering places where unlimited talking seems to be the norm. When I was a kid the "strict silence" rule was enforced.
Another example of culture decline. No respect for those of us who want to read and learn or simply listen to music.
Bring headphones that block the noise!!


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## Celloman (Sep 30, 2006)

hpowders said:


> One thing I've noticed about libraries in the USA these days. They seem to have "evolved" into social gathering places where unlimited talking seems to be the norm.


I'm at the library right now. The person straight across from me is talking on a phone. I want to tell him, "Can you please take your call somewhere else, sir?" It's a shame that we have to put up with this kind of noise nowadays. Libraries were the only places where you could get some peace and quiet. Now they're social coffee-houses where the bookshelves are simply three-dimensional wallpaper.


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