Music library: untapped resource

Down below the stage of the Cohen auditorium, there is a relatively unknown and untapped campus resource: the Tisch Music Library. If you go there, you will find a surprisingly good collection of CD's, LP's, tapes, musical scores and books about music.

Unfortunately, most of the library's visitors are either music students who need scores for their lessons or students who come to check out music on reserve for their classes. Not many students go to the library simply to browse the music collection, according to Library worker Jennifer Ko.

She says that this is due to the fact that the library's "fairly large" collection of CD and LP stacks has a rather inaccessible location in the basement of Aidekman. Additionally, many people who have not had to check out music from the library do not even know it exists.

This is too bad because, according to Library Assistant Abby Al-Doory, the library has nearly 4,000 LP's, 9,000 CD's and 200 tapes. They also have plenty of tape and CD players along with several record turners to allow students to relax and listen to the collection of tunes without leaving the library.

Yet, this is not even the best part. According to Al-Doory, if a student comes to the library and requests a book or CD that is not on the stacks, they can fill out an order form and the library will order it. She said orders usually take about six weeks.

In other words, when I go to the library and ask for Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti or the new Beta Band album, even if they don't have it, they will order it for me. Sweet.

The music library is also working on building an electronic reserve system that would create online accessible RealAudio music files. Basically, this would mean that students could listen to any of the music in the library from the comfort of their own room simply by turning on the computer and going to the Tisch website. Pretty cool, huh?

So, the next time you feel like listening to some music in a chill, relaxed environment or want to check out a new CD before buying it, stop by the Aidekman Arts Center and head down to the basement.