About Us

  • For contact information, including location, mailing address, phone numbers, and email address, see Contact Us .
  • For information about the staff of the Skinner Music Library, see Staff.
  • For information about our Library building, see Facilities.
  • To learn about the latest Library news, see What's New in the Library.

Music Library Quick Facts

Circulation

  • More than one-third of the items checked out from UNC Libraries is a Music Library item (2005/06: 35.8%).
  • One in six items checked out from UNC Libraries is a Music Library CD (2005/06: 17.7%).
  • almost half reserve checkouts at UNC Libraries are Music Library  items  (2005/06: 49.8%).

Pretty impressive figures even before one notes that music and musical theatre students account for only 4.2% of the UNC student population. We're a busy library with an active clientele.

Collections

By the end of Fiscal Year 2005/06, the Music Library owned more than 73,000 different titles and more than 96,000 volumes. Here's a breakdown of titles (excluding multiple volumes) by format:

  • 18,818 books
  • 29,952 scores
  • 12,373 CDs
  • 9,817 LPs
  • 827 videos (all formats)
  • 966 microforms
  • 199 current periodical subscriptions

Over the past several years, the collection has grown by ca. 4000 titles each year, with the most aggressive growth in the score and CD collections (ca. 3000 titles each per year).

The Music Library Building

  • The new Music Library building opened in October 1997. Total cost, including furnishings and equipment, was $2,979,300.
  • It was named for Dr. Howard M. Skinner on May 6, 2005.
  • We have one of the few free-standing music libraries in the country. For an institution of UNC's size, it is unique.
  • The main floor has 15,000 square feet of floor space, almost all of it patron-accessible. Basement storage, mechanical, and archival facilities account for another 3,000 square feet.
  • Darrell Anderson, the artist who created the mosaic gracing the wall in the public computer area, was also commissioned by the Denver International Airport to design a portion of the mosaic floor in the terminal.
  • Patrons have access to the following equipment:
    • 30 computers (all accessing the Internet; most offer Microsoft Office and CD/DVD players)
    • 5 notebook computers
    • 5 laptop ports
    • wireless network access throughout the building
    • 21 CD players
    • 10 LP turntables
    • 8 cassette decks
    • 2 reel-to-reel tape players
    • 7 video players (5 VHS, 1 Beta, 1 Laserdisc) with monitors
    • 158 seats
  • Patrons have access to the following facilities: