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Searching for Performance Arts Materials using OneSearch

Basic instructions and tips for finding music and other performance arts materials using OneSearch advanced search

General Tips

OneSearch is designed more as a tool for discovery than as a tool for identifying specific resources. It works best with exploratory searches to see what kinds of resources about a certain topic or of a certain type are held in the library. If you are searching for a specific item, refining your search using the facets on the left side of the results will be key.

Some general tips:

  • Use the search terms that you think best capture what you are seeking and hit "Search."
  • If your search returns results that you do not find relevant, first try clicking on the "Subject" facet on the left side of the screen. If you see there a subject that aligns with what you are seeking, click on that.
  • Your search will likely return search results that include individual items as well as "Multiple Versions" results. The "Multiple Versions" results try to lump together everything relating to the title of your search, so the "Multiple Versions" result will likely be the one you want to click on to see the focused set of results most related to what you seek.
  • The "Multiple Versions" set of results shows materials in all formats, even if you specified certain filters in your initial search.
    Use the facets on the left side to refine the results to what you seek.

Work your way through the sample searches on this page to learn tips for navigating search results, understanding the information displayed in search results, and finding the resources that best meet your needs.

Sample search -- La bohème

Imagine you want to find a vocal score of La bohème that includes an English translation. You could combine multiple search terms to conduct this search:

  • title - La bohème
  • format - vocal score
  • language - English
  • possibly composer (there is more than one opera La bohème) - Puccini

To find a physical item in the CCM library, select "UC Libraries Catalog" and enter your search terms "boheme vocal score puccini" as an "Any field search" and select the Language filter "English."

This search yields several results, including excerpts and arrangements. From the list of search results, you'll be able to see various pieces of information for each result, including format, title, author, publication year, and availability. You can click on any search result to enter into the item record and see more information. Looking at just the first three search results:

                 

  • The first search result shown here is labeled "Multiple versions" and provides a link to "see all versions." Clicking on this result will take you to a more focused set of search results related to La bohème in various formats.
  • The second search result shows a score that is unavailable. You could click on this search result to learn more about the item and request it. See the Accessing physical and digital materials page for more information.
  • The third search result shows that the item is available in the CCM library and displays the call number, so you could find it on the shelf. However, you can see from the format type in the search result that this item is a book, not a vocal score.

Filtering search results -- La bohème

Click on the first search result labeled "Multiple versions" to see all the versions of La bohème held in the UC Libraries. This will bring up a new list of all results focused on the title, in all formats. You will need to use the facets on the left side to filter to your desired specifications.You can select "English" under "Language" to ensure you find resources with English translations, "CCM" under "Library" to ensure you find resources you can access at the CCM Library, and "Operas Vocal Scores With Piano" under "Subject."

          

 

Click on "Apply filters," and the list of search results will update to the three items that most closely match what you are seeking.

Sample search -- Mahler Symphony no. 7

Now imagine you are researching Mahler's Seventh Symphony and want to look at a score while listening to the music. You would begin with the same process of deciding which search terms to use. In this case, you might choose to search "mahler symphony 7" as an "Any field search" in the "UC Libraries Catalog."

This search yields many results, including a "Multiple Versions" result showing 19 versions of "Symphonie No. 7" by "Mahler, Gustav, 1860-1911." Click on the "Multiple Versions" result to see different versions of Mahler's symphony in various formats.

                                              

As you look through the results, you could look through the facets to see the types of subjects and formats represented in the results. As you become more familiar with the library catalog, you will also recognize hints from the call numbers. You'll notice that some of the items marked "Score" have different call numbers.

          

  • The last result shown here has a call number beginning with M1001 - M is the class for printed music, and 1001 is the class number for symphonies.
  • The first two results have a call number beginning with MS1001 - MS is the category for miniature scores, and again, 1001 is the class number for symphonies.
  • The third result has a call number beginning with M3 - M3 is the class number for critical editions and collected works of individual composers. Critical editions are scores that include scholarly commentary in the form of introductions, footnotes, and supplemental texts to explain the decisions made in creating the edition and the sources used. Collected works are a type of critical edition, taking the form of multi-volume sets compiling the entire output of a given composer. The M3 materials have the location of "CCM Local Scores," which means they are Library Use Only.
  • The fourth result has a call number beginning with ML96.5 - ML is the class for music literature, and 96.5 is the class number for facsimiles. Facsimiles are photographic copies of composers' manuscripts, early copies of their compositions, or early printed editions. They might also include critical commentary, and they are interesting and useful for research (but not really useful for performance).

The call numbers can be helpful clues to better understand the resources as you scan through the search results, though you can also learn more about each item by clicking into the item records.

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