Music Books
Most books on music can be found on the 6th floor of Milner Library. Search the library catalog to find out what books are in the collection.
Books in Milner Library are cataloged using the Library of Congress classification system. You can browse the following sections of call numbers on the shelf to find books related to music.
| Call Number Range | Subject |
| ML 100 - 109 | Music Dictionaries and Encyclopedias |
| ML 410 | Composer biographies |
| ML 549 - 1092 | Instruments |
| ML 1400 - 3275 | Vocal Music |
Interested in how long you can check out a book? View the list of loan periods Milner resources.
Look at our Understanding Call Numbers guide for more information.
- Create a Milner Library/I-Share AccountThis video shows how to create a Milner Library / I-Share account. This account will allow you to manage your checked out books and request items via I-Share.
- Requesting a book from I-ShareThis video shows how to find and request items from other Illinois (I-Share) libraries via the I-Share catalog.
Reading eBooks
There are three ways to read eBooks:
- Read in your browser
- Download to your laptop or tablet
- Print one or more pages
In most instances, you will be prompted to log in using your ULID username and password before the eBook is displayed, whether or not you are on or off campus.
The steps to download or print an eBook are dependent on the publisher's website. Consult our eBook Guide for specific information about each format.
Subject Headings
To find a book on a particular topic, search the library's catalog by subject (not just keyword). This strategy will help you find more relevant books more quickly!
Some subject headings to search for in music are:
Music - Philosophy and Aesthetics
Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750
Searching Tips
1. Put quotation marks around multiple words to search them as a phrase. Example: "musical palindromes"
2. Replace the end of a word with an asterisk * to find multiple versions of the word in one search. Example: symph* will show results for symphonies, symphony, symphonic
3. If you see the "Find It" button, click on it. It will show you if we have the full text to an article, or let you request it through interlibrary loan if Milner doesn't have it.