Marvin Duchow Music Library

• Bibliothèque de musique Marvin Duchow

The Marvin Duchow Music Library is one of the most important academic music collections in Canada. The collection consists of over 150,000 volumes of musical scores, sound and video recordings, books and journals, as well as online resources representing all formats. One of the 13 branches of the McGill Library, the Music Library provides resources and services to support the performance, composition, research, and teaching programs of the Schulich School of Music. It also serves the McGill University community at large. Members of the general public are welcome to consult the Library.

The Special Collections of the Marvin Duchow Music Library are organized according to format.

Holdings in the Music Library’s Special Collections Room on the 3rd floor include rare books, scores, and textual materials. Highlights include the David Edelberg/Handel Collection; manuscript scores and correspondence of 20th-century composers Julius Schloss, Marvin Duchow, and Kelsey Jones; the opera vocal scores of Pauline Donalda; the papers of music critic Eric McLean; and numerous 18th- and 19th-century performing and study editions of German and French repertoire.

Holdings in the Music Library’s Audiovisual Archives contain an extensive collection of music in a variety of audio formats such as 78s, 45s and LPs, transcription discs, reel-to-reel tapes and cassettes, as well as various video formats. Highlights from the Audiovisual Archives include the 78 rpm 10” jazz collection, former personal collections of David Edelberg (Handel), Noël Vallerand (Mahler/Wagner), and Eric McLean as well as Schulich School of Music concert and studio recordings.

More information on the Music Library Special Collections can be found here: https://mcgill.ca/library/find/subjects/music/special

Some materials from the Rare Books and Special Collections have been digitized. Virtual exhibitions are available on the Digital Collections web page. https://www.mcgill.ca/library/find/digitization/

During regular service hours, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Researchers wishing to access the Special Collections Room are advised to contact the Marvin Duchow Music library prior to visiting. The registration card must be completed with current mailing address and patrons must produce valid ID upon registration. All readers agree to the rules and regulations governing the use of Marvin Duchow Music Library’s Special Collections materials.

The Audiovisual Archives are located on the 4th floor of the Marvin Duchow Music Library in the Elizabeth Wirth Music Building of McGill University. The archives may be consulted by appointment during regular service hours from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please note that requests for recordings on legacy formats will be considered individually as many recordings will need to be digitized for access and preservation purposes prior to the scheduled appointment.

The Marvin Duchow Music Library is wheelchair accessible, with an internal elevator providing easy access to each floor. Most Library services and facilities have been adapted for use by all clients. However, access to certain rooms inside the Library, such as seminar rooms, might be problematic as the doors do not have buttons that provide for automatic opening. Accessible washrooms are located on each floor.

Staff can suggest avenues for accessing the collections, assist you with your reference questions, help you find relevant gateways to copies available in digital format, and arrange for specialized research assistance.

Use of personal cameras is allowed during consultation with staff permission.

Requests for research-quality or professional, high-resolution reproductions (photocopies, scans, audiovisual recordings) are handled by MDML staff on a case-by-case basis.

Reproduction of the materials is allowed for personal or scholarly use. The granting of permission to publish by Marvin Duchow Music Library does not absolve users from securing permission from copyright owners and payment of such additional fees as the owners may require if the division does not own copyright or if the material is not in the public domain. Applicants assume all responsibility for questions of copyright and invasion of privacy that may arise in copying and in the use made of the photographic and digital copy.

Researchers must include the supplied credit line when reproductions are used for publication, exhibition, web site production and video production.

Please note, new finding aids are currently being added.