Skip to Main Content

Finding musical works

A guide for library employees and others who may have to find a specific work .

Get Online Help

Reminder: Online Access

  • Library resources require going through CWRU Single Sign-On.
  • The best method is to follow links from the library website.
  • When logged in and a browser window is not closed, access should continue from resource to resource.
  • Remember to close your browser when done.

Using ANSCR

Kulas CDs are arranged by the Alpha-Numeric System for Classification of Recordings.
This page shows how ANSCR is applied to our collection. For a detailed explanation on why we chose ANSCR, see:

"Finding the ANSCR for Media Storage: Lessons from a Renovation Reclassification"
MUSIC REFERENCE SERVICES QUARTERLY
2020, VOL. 23, NOS. 3–4, 142–152
https://doi.org/10.1080/10588167.2020.1793619

 

ANSCR numbers have 4 parts, called ‘terms’.

We added a fifth term to include the original accession number.

Each term represents a different facet of the recording identity.

Discs are organized by accession number, but liner notes are organized by ANSCR.

See the chart below for an example:
 

Term

Formation

Function

Term One
(B- Opera Category)
 

Alphabetical letter

Group related recordings by musical genre

Term Two
(PUCC - Puccini)

First four letters of composer’s last name

Arrange recordings by composer within category

Term Three
(ML - Manon Lescaut)

First letters of first 3 words in title OR first 3 letters of one-word title

To identify title of work or album

Term Four
(T - Tebaldi, soprano)
(17 - London 1317)

First letter of performer’s surname, followed by last two digits of commercial record number

To make entire ANSCR number unique

Term Five
670

accession number

to link the liner note ANSCR number with the CD disc number


 

 

  • Last Updated: Sep 17, 2024 2:17 PM
  • URL: https://researchguides.case.edu/findingmusic
  • Print Page
Subjects: Music