"The Bane of a Music Librarian's Existence": Why and How Music Libraries Preserve Scores with Spiral and Comb Bindings. (3rd July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shirts, Peter
• Is Part Of: Music reference services quarterly. Volume 24:Number 3(2021)
• Page Start: 136
• Page End: 157
• Publication Date: 2021-07-03
• Subjects: Music libraries -- preservation -- conservation -- scores -- binding -- spiral binding -- comb binding; Music libraries -- Periodicals; Music -- Periodicals; Reference services (Libraries) -- Periodicals; 026.78
• DOI: 10.1080/10588167.2020.1833600
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1058-8167

Abstract

ABSTRACT: While popular with music publishers, spiral and comb bindings for music scores are problematic for music libraries for many reasons, especially long-term preservation. While recommendations exist for how libraries should treat these scores, only a few outdated research studies detail actual binding practices. This article summarizes and analyzes findings from a 2018 survey of 50 libraries of various sizes and budgets in the United States and Canada, describing common ways libraries deal with spiral- and comb-bound scores, the main perceived problems with these types of bindings, and the diversity of decision workflows.