The Music & Performing Arts Library (MPAL) uses a combination of approval plans (although with some of our vendors these are more accurately called blanket orders) and firm orders (based on vendor slips, patron requests, and librarian selection) for all formats and a wide variety of vendors for firm orders (especially for scores and media). Acquisitions can help track down sources if needed.

MPAL has a lot of collected editions (also known as gesamtausgabe and/or critical editions) and monuments of composers works. These are generally in the M3s for composers and M2s for monuments, in Reference. Frequently these are acquired via standing order.

MPAL ACQUISITIONS BY FORMAT

Scores

• Harrassowitz and Theodore Front
  • MPAL has blanket orders (auto-ships) for scores with Harrassowitz (European imprints) and Theodore Front (North American imprints, including UK/European vendors with NA imprints). This means that we have set up a profile with each of them and they automatically send us the things that match the profile.
  • We also receive slips on a regular basis (via email) from both vendors, which we can use to place firm orders for scores (and books for Harrassowitz).
  • Fund codes:
    • Harrassowitz-specific fund for score and book approvals: mush0
    • Front-specific fund for score approvals: musp0 (from when our NA vendor was JW Pepper)
• Casalini and Amalivre
  • Casalini and Amalivre also sell some scores and can be used for firm orders; and we have a handful of score standing orders with them. Standing orders for collected editions of scores (M3s) are discussed below under Serials.
  • There is no specific fund for these and scores can be ordered via mu0.

Books

• GOBI
  • All GOBI orders for MPAL are handled on a slip basis. Our slips come via the “Performing Arts” profile, which, when selected, are paid on mup-625, danp-625, or theap-625 as appropriate. We also get slips in GOBI separately under music, dance, and theatre profiles, but primarily these overlap with the Performing Arts approval plan.
  • Books can also be firm ordered through GOBI as well, using monographic or gift funds (mu0, dan0, the0, etc.)
• Harrassowitz
  • Some European imprint books (primarily German language, but not only) come with the blanket order mentioned above under Scores, and are charged to mush0. However, books can be firm ordered from here as well on mu0 (or dan0, or the0 as appropriate). Slips for books are sent along with slips for scores on a regular basis.
• Amalivre (was Aux Amateurs de Livres)
  • Slips for French imprint books (primarily French language, but not only) are sent on a regular basis either via email or by checking the Amalivre website. Books can be firm ordered from here on mu0 (or dan0, or the0 as appropriate).
• Casalini
  • Slips for Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese imprint books are sent on a regular basis either via email or by checking the Casalini website. Books can be firm ordered from here on mu0 (or dan0, or the0 as appropriate).

EBooks

There is not one single source for MPAL ebooks—these can be bought through most of our monographic vendors for a variety of different platforms and options. When choosing ebooks, it is usually best to choose the publisher platform first, then academic aggregators like JSTOR or Project MUSE, then finally vendors like EBSCO and ProQuest (which usually have simultaneous user limits that can be avoided by buying on other platforms). Choose “single user” only if no other option or cost is an issue. If the book is a core title, purchase as high a number of simultaneous users as possible. See the ebook section of this guide for more information.

Media

• Approval orders
  • We have a CD and DVD approval plan with Arkivmusic. On a monthly basis they create carts for us on their website, one based on our approval plan with them and one for world and popular music listed in the regular CD Hotlist recommendations.
• Firm orders
  • These can also be placed with Arkivmusic (they can often sources things not in their catalog); CD Source (which is really good at getting things that are difficult to source elsewhere, including used or 3rd party items); CDBaby; and many other sites/vendors.
• Fund codes for approval and firm orders of media: par12, dan0 or the0

Serials and other subscriptions

Journals, monographic series, standing orders for score collected editions, and database subscriptions are all paid on “9s”. 

Journal renewals are paid in the fall and primarily are handled through EBSCO and Harrassowitz.

Fund codes for serial orders:

• Dan9 = dance serials
• Mu9 = serials orders for music, including collected editions (on standing order, with Harrassowitz and others). Also includes eresource subscriptions for all three subjects.
• The9 = theatre serials

Funds List by Type and Format

*Autoships

Common object codes

• 611: print monographs (book, score, etc.)
• 651: a/v firm orders

Vendors

Primary vendors are bold.

In addition, we can also source directly from the publisher in many cases, such as Oxford University Press, Ricordi, Boosey and Hawkes, etc. This includes self-publishing composers and artists. Include as much info as you know in the order form and Acquisitions will do their best!