Streaming Music
Naxos Music Library offers streaming access to over 3 million tracks. Their primary focus is Western art music, though their collection also includes music from around the world. UPEI currently has access for 10 listeners at a time. After logging in as a UPEI user, you can sign up for a student/member account if you want to save your own playlists. Faculty members can create shared playlists for their courses; contact the Music librarian for more information.
CDs and Records
Our audio CD and vinyl record collections are located in the Collaboratory on the main floor of the Library. You can search these collections in the Catalogue. In the Format menu, choose Music (all) to include all formats, or Music CDs to only see CDs.
Want to listen in the Library? We have everything you need in the Collaboratory, including a record player and digitization equipment. Remember that you are responsible for following Canadian copyright law.
Want music to go? CDs and records can be checked out at the library services desk. We also have portable CD players, a portable record player, and CD/DVD drives that you can check out. See the Equipment list to check the availability of specific items.
How do I find the right album?
Most of our music is organized using the ANSCR system, or the Alpha-Numeric System for Classification of Recordings. Each album is assigned a call number with four parts:
First - a broad category/genre
Second - the first four letters of the composer or performer's name
Third - letters that identify the specific work or album
Fourth - a code that identifies which specific recording this is
So, for example, we have two different recordings of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg concertos with call numbers EC BACH BC M56 and EC BACH BC M57.
EC = concertos
BACH = Bach
BC = Brandenburg Concertos
M56 or M57 = codes for specific recordings
Other Bach concertos will be nearby, but his organ music will be in a totally different place (GO BACH, where GO = solo organ music).
The Music librarian or the staff at the library services desk can help you find the right sections. Here are the main categories:
| A | Music Appreciation and Early Music |
| B | Operas |
| C | Choral Music |
| D | Vocal Music |
| (E) | Orchestral music |
| EA | Orchestral music: General Orchestral |
| EB | Orchestral music: Ballet Music |
| EC | Orchestral music: Concertos |
| ES | Orchestral music: Symphonies |
| F | Chamber Music |
| (G) | Solo/Duo Instrumental Music |
| GG | Solo/Duo Guitar |
| GO | Solo/Duo Organ |
| GP | Solo/Duo Piano |
| GS | Solo/Duo Stringed Instruments |
| GV | Solo/Duo Violin |
| GW | Solo/Duo Wind Instruments |
| GX | Solo/Duo Percussion Instruments |
| H | Band Music |
| J | Electronic and Mechanical Music |
| K | Musicals and Operettas |
| L | Film & Television Soundtracks |
| MA | Popular Music |
| MC | Country/Western |
| MG | Contemporary Christian/Gospel |
| MJ | Jazz |
| MN | New Age |
| MR | Rock, Rhythm and Blues, etc. |
| P | Folk and Ethnic Music (American) |
| PC | Folk and Ethic Music (Canadian) |
| Q | Folk and Ethnic Music (Rest of world) |
| R | Holiday Music |
| S | Varieties and Humor |
| T | Plays |
| U | Poetry |
| V | Prose |
| W | Documentary |
| X | Instructional or Informational |
| Y | Sounds and Special Effects |
| Z | Children's Recordings |
Why so much opera?
A substantial part of our music collection was a donation from Dr. J.R. "Ray" Morrison. Dr. Morrison grew up in Pleasant Valley and attended Prince of Wales College before becoming a professor of English at Carleton University. He donated his music collection to the Robertson Library to provide an opportunity for the residents of Prince Edward Island, as well as UPEI students and researchers, to listen to, study, and enjoy opera. You'll see "MORRISON" on the labels of items from Dr. Morrison's collection.