CROSSETT LIBRARY

Jennings Music Library

Page Contents

Hours

Jennings Music Library is open:

  • Mondays, 10am - 4pm
  • Tuesdays, 10am - 4pm
  • Wednesdays, 9am - 6pm
  • Thursdays, 10am - 5:30pm
  • Fridays, 10am - 4pm

For more information or to make an appointment, you can reach out directly by email to MusicLibrary@bennington.edu.

See borrowing information.

About Jennings Music Library

The Music Library holds approximately 18,000 items including: 2080 LPs, 5050 CDs, 15,000 scores, 600 books, reference volumes, videos, periodicals, and other types of recordings. Emphasis is on classical, jazz (improvisation), 20th and 21st century music, and world music.

We house a rare collection of 20th century scores by Latin American composers, and an extensive collection of rare LP recordings which includes jazz LPs from the 1940's through 1990. The library contains numerous works of (former and present) distinguished faculty composers including: Henry Brant, Louis Calabro, Allen Shawn, Vivian Fine, Otto Luening, Betsy Jolas, Joan Tower, and Lionel Nowak. There are also rare manuscripts, including those of Ramiro Cortes.

Jennings Archival Music Project: Archival CDs from close to 1000 reels, of musical performances at Bennington College from 1950–1985. Find these items in the catalog.

Music Department Performances: Programs, posters, and even some recordings from the past 50 years of concerts at Bennington College are accessible in our archive. Encompassing faculty, students, and alumni, it's our most comprehensive collection currently available. You can browse or search through the collection here: Bennington's Digital Archive. Find these items in the catalog.

How to Search for Items in Jennings Music Library

You can find items in the following ways:

  • Online Catalog
  • CDs -- Enter the author, title, or keyword in the search box, and then set the material type scroll to "Music Record".
  • Books -- Search by author, title, or subject.
  • The Card Catalog -- Located in the grey file drawers behind the front desk.
  • LPs -- On the blue cards in the card catalog. Search by either Composer or Subject.
  • Scores -- On the White cards in the card catalog. Search by either composer or subject.
  • Feel free to ask x4512 for assistance with locating items.

Jennings Music Library Layout

Books and Recordings

The Front Room
  • CDS: In the large drawers by the bay window area.
  • Reference Books: On the mantle and bookcase, adjacent to the circulation desk.
  • DVD & Videos: In the locking files by the windows.
  • Bennington College Recordings (including the Archive CD Collection): On top of the Card Catalog (from 2005-present), and in front of the windows.
  • Periodicals: Located on the magazine racks.
  • Faculty Reserves
  • Recordings of Student Work (i.e. Class Compositions, Music Workshops, Recitals, Senior Concerts).
  • All other recent works are organized in date order on top of the card catalog.
  • Concerts and Workshops: Earlier dates are located in the small grey file drawers by the windows.
  • Circulating Books: On the front large shelves.
The Middle Room
  • Circulating books with the call numbers NA-TK.

Score Locations

All scores are in alphabetical order by composer within a section (starting with Collections/Anthologies, then organized A-Z).

The Front Room
  • Miniature Study Scores: Next to the front closet.
  • Fake Books, Real Books, Show Tunes, Rock, and some Folk
The Middle Room
  • Instrumental Music (such as Piano, Strings, Winds, Brass, Percussion, Chamber Ensembles, Oversized Scores, Libretti, Hymnals).
Listening Room (3rd Room)
  • Full-Sized Orchestral Scores (scores with all parts) -- In large green file boxes. The full sized study scores are on the large bookcase.
  • Vocal Scores (Including voice with piano, A Cappella, Voice with Instruments, Choral Music, Vocal Methods)
  • Opera -- In the large white bookcase.
  • LPS -- Vinyl collection in numerical order, and Jazz reference collection, alphabetical by performer, and reference box sets.
The Sanctuary (4th Room)
  • Open 24/7 as a cozy study space. Access via next to Room 101 when the library is closed
  • Extra listening space with CD recorder.
  • Back issues of Periodicals and Analog Archives.
Need Help? 

Feel free to ask x4512 for assistance with locating items.

Jennings Archival Project List

Browse the list of projects.