Plymouth Libraries Song Index

Subject: Plymouth Libraries Song Index
From: GUEST,Greyeyes (at work)
Date: 21 Feb 01 - 04:59 AM

The text of an e-mail I received from our Music & Drama Librarian today.

"The song index is now available on Galaxy. This means that it is also available on Viewpoint terminals and world-wide via the Internet. This is something of a "first" for Plymouth, being the largest such index in any British public library catalogue on the web (as far as I know).

"The song index lists 60,000 titles in 1700 volumes which are located in Music & Drama. You can search for a song by title, keyword, phrase or index browse (title). It also means that each Galaxy entry shows the complete contents of each songbook. These books are, of course, borrowable and reservable in the normal way.

"We have already indexed the vocal music and play anthologies. The next task will be to index all our piano and organ collections."

Blicky for Plymouth Libraries online catalogue

Music & Drama Departments e-mail address: [e-mail]

The department doesn't specialise in folk, but has a reasonable collection in that field, particularly westcountry related. Hope this info is useful.

Subject: RE: Plymouth Libraries Song Index
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Feb 01 - 06:08 AM

Sounds wonderful, but I haven't found a link to the song index. Our library Website is like that here in Sacramento - they have lots of resources to check, but it's hard to navigate the Website and find the stuff.
I hope somebody will find the Song Index and give us a link.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Plymouth Libraries Song Index
From: MMario
Date: 21 Feb 01 - 08:45 AM

I can find a "card catolog" type index - but the results are displayed white on white - no matter what setting I put inmy browser.

Subject: RE: Plymouth Libraries Song Index
From: GUEST,Greyeyes
Date: 21 Feb 01 - 09:52 AM

The Song Index isn't a separate feature, it is incorporated into the library catalogue. Just search for a song as if it were a book, and you should be offered a list of books the song can be found in, click on a book title and it will show you a complete list of songs in that book.

It is not a database of songs like the DT, just an index of songs held in books in Plymouth. It's uniqueness is that very few public libraries have compiled such a catalogue, and none, as far as we know, are on the net. I've included the e-mail address as it should be possible to get the staff to photocopy and mail songs, or maybe even scan and e-mail. You'd need to negotiate with them, it's not my department. People in the UK can request any song book via ILL at their local branch library.

I can't explain the white on white. It should be green text.

this might be an easier link

Subject: RE: Plymouth Libraries Song Index
From: GUEST,Greyeyes
Date: 21 Feb 01 - 10:57 AM

Of course if any one just wants the lyrics of a song from the index, PM me and I'll post it here.

Subject: RE: Plymouth Libraries Song Index
From: Deni
Date: 21 Feb 01 - 05:53 PM

Hello,

I just followed the alternative link you gave to the index and it worked fine. Took me straight to the heart of Plymouth library, where I have spent over three years looking for Traditional songs the long winded-way.

This is a really useful resource. Thanks for it

Cheers,

Deni

Subject: RE: Plymouth Libraries Song Index
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Feb 01 - 06:05 PM

Hey, that IS great, Greyeyes - I put in "Some Enchanted Evening", and here's what I got (click). I own at least a couple of the songbooks on that list, and the index makes it easy to find the songs. I do wish it were separate from the rest of the library catalog, but nonetheless it's a great index.

The one I use most is the UTK Song Index which indexes some 1,500 songbooks at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Anybody know of other songbook index resources?

Also, I was wondering if there is a sheet music site in the UK that would be coparable to the excellent Levy Sheet Music Collection and Library of Congress American Memory Collection in the U.S.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Plymouth Libraries Song Index
From: Greyeyes
Date: 21 Feb 01 - 07:20 PM

Don't know about UK equivalents, Joe, but I'll ask our M&D Librarian, he may know.

Deni, look me up next time your in, I'm the Librarian in the main lending library, just ask for Paul at any counter.

Subject: RE: Plymouth Libraries Song Index
From: Deni
Date: 18 Mar 01 - 09:19 AM

A month late, Greyeyes, but I've just rediscovered this thread. I will say hello one day. I've recently discovered the delights of the reference library. I was told there are no actual songs in the ref lib, apart from the Baring-Gould, however found a great book, The Oxford book of Ballads, which does have some tunes in it.

great stuff!

Cheers Deni