The Loeb Music Library's general collection supports the curriculum of the Harvard University Department of Music, as well as scholarship in a broad range of musical disciplines, including:
- historical musicology
- music theory
- ethnomusicology
- performance practice
- cross-disciplinary music studies
Current collecting also focuses on American vernacular musics including musical theater, jazz, blues, and rock.
The musical scores support both performance and scholarly research in a variety of musics. Collection strengths include outstanding holdings in 18th- and 19th-century instrumental music, 19th-century opera, early Western European music in modern editions, and Russian and Ukrainian music of the late 19th and 20th centuries. Collection development in 20th- and 21st-century music is also a priority, guided by the world-renowned composition faculty of the Harvard Department of Music.
The library's periodicals holdings constitute one of the most impressive collections anywhere in the world, ranging from a set of Dwight's Journal and other early-19th-century publications, to a nearly complete set of Sovetskaia Muzyka. The library continues to add to its archived holdings of serials.
Accessing These Materials
Items in this collection are cataloged in HOLLIS.