Music Library
Western’s Music Library, physically housed on the second floor of the Don Wright Faculty of Music’s Talbot College building, is one of the jewels of campus. Its holdings are among the most expansive in North America, including an impressive general collection and several special collections including The Gustav Mahler - Alfred Rosé Collection.
The close-knit music community at Western considers the Music Library to be the heart of everything we do. From world-renowned collections that are visited and studied by international scholars, to current students who need a quiet campus space to study books and scores, or to simply borrow a digital keyboard or cell phone charger, having access to this Music Library is central to music historians and theorists, aspiring music teachers, composers, and performers alike. Its expansive online digital resources and subscriptions are also available to all members of the Western community.
The Choral / Band / Orchestral Collection (CBO) is also part of the Music Library's operations, and is located on the main floor of Talbot College. It houses Western Libraries’ collection of large-ensemble performance materials. Titles with ten or more parts are housed in the CBO, as are multiple copies of choral music (100+ vocal scores of Handel's Messiah, for example). The CBO primarily supports the large ensemble performance activities of the Don Wright Faculty of Music.
All staff who work within the Music Library are musicians themselves, meaning they understand the unique needs of music researchers – from undergraduates completing a term paper, graduate students working on their theses, to faculty members developing new course materials – and are ready to help, whether in-person or virtually as circumstances permit.
Hear more from Music Library Director Brian McMillan as he shares an inside look of the physical space, and details the extensive resources and support available.
Music Library at Western University
Operating the Music Library at Western University during COVID-19
News
March 1, 2023
Celebrating Mahler: Western's connection to the great composer plus upcoming concerts and exhibition
September 16, 2021
New Western Libraries acquisition - Elephantine chant book dates to 1600
Contact
Brian McMillan
Director, Music Library
Western Libraries
bmcmill2@uwo.ca
