Music Research Tools
Free & Online through San Francisco Public Library
Your San Francisco Public Library card allows you to check out and return books to and from the Main
Library and 27 branch libraries throughout the City. You can reserve material and have it sent to and any
of these locations. It is also possible to request material from other libraries in California and from all
across the country. Your Library card also gives you access to eBooks, eReference resources, databases
and streaming audio and video.
Our collection includes more than 30,000 books, 32,000 scores, as well as the collected works of over 200
composers. We also have an in-depth collection of popular music and Broadway songbooks. The
Dorothy Starr Collection contains over 42,000 pieces of vocal sheet music. Our collection also includes
reference works, thematic catalogs, guides to repertoire, and resources for writing program notes. We
have scores and instructional material for all instruments and ensembles.
CATALOGS AND BORROWING MATERIALS
The San Francisco Public Library Catalog. Our books, scores and recordings are indexed
here. You can limit your catalog search to scores, books, eBooks, CDs, eMusic, DVDs,
eVideos, or LPs.
Link+. This is a service that allows San Francisco Public Library card holders to borrow
material from other libraries in California and Nevada including many libraries from the
CSU system.
Interlibrary Loan. San Francisco Public Library card holders can also request books and
scores from public and university libraries from the entire country.
MUSICAL SCORE REFERENCE TOOLS
Classical Scores Library. Includes digitized scores, mostly of contemporary classical works
not yet in the public domain.
Dorothy Starr Sheet Music Collection. A collection of vocal sheet music. This collection is
particular strong for popular song, but also includes Broadway and film song, art song,
operatic arias (in various ranges) and choral works for various ensembles.
Fakebook Index. An index to lead sheets and fakebook arrangements for all styles of music
including jazz, pop, rock, classical and folk music.
Orchestral Music Sets. The Library loans sets of parts to orchestral works to registered
ensembles. These parts are also available to consult for audition preparation.
RESEARCH DATABASES
Classical Music Reference Library (Alexander Street). Brings together a variety of
essential reference materials, spanning the entire history of Western classical music,
in a unified online database.
Music Index - A Comprehensive Guide to Music Periodicals and Literature. An index,
abstracts and some full text to music periodicals.
Rock’s Back Pages. An archive of 25,000 articles covering rock music’s movements and
musicians.
JStor. Full text articles from 1838 onward from scholarly journals in all areas of the arts
and humanities.
African American Music Reference. Essays and images that document all forms of black
American musical expression, including blues, jazz, spirituals, civil rights songs, slave
songs, minstrels, rhythm and blues, gospel.
STREAMING AUDIO AND VIDEO from Alexander Street Press
Classical Music Library. High quality streaming audio to more than 15,000 classical music
albums covering all eras and genres.
American Song. A streaming audio collection of over half a million tracks of American
roots music and pre-1960 American popular music.
Contemporary World Music. Provides access to more than a million tracks of music from
169 countries in contemporary and traditional styles.
Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries. Provides audio and liner notes for recordings
from the Smithsonian Folkways label. These include world music, folk music, classical
music and spoken word recordings.
Classical Music in Video. Contains more than 1,000 hours of classical music performances
and masterclasses in streaming video.
San Francisco Public Library - Main Library – Art, Music & Recreation Center - HOURS
Sun
Mon
Tue
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Thu
Fri
Sat
12-6
9-6
9-8
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12-6
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How to get free access to these valuable online tools:
1. Pick up a library card at San Francisco Public Library (Locations listed at sfpl.org)
2. At sfpl.org, click on Research & Learn > Articles & Databases. Your library card and PIN will
give you access to all of the listed resources.
3. Questions? Call us at 415-557-4525 or contact the Library at sfpl.org/askalibrarian.
