Reference sources can provide background material and be a launching point for further research. Here are some examples.
The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music by 
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians by 
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by 
Encyclopedia of World Pop Music, 1980-2001 by 
The Oxford Handbook of Music Education by The Library Catalog is the gateway to finding books. Search the catalog for books about opera, piano, or an individual composer.
PrimoDiscovery - limited to physical items in library
​Blumberg Memorial Library arranges materials by the Library of Congress Classification System. Books on music generally fall into the following call numbers:
Music M
Want to go beyond TLU? You can search the website WorldCat for books that the TLU Library may not own, and then request them through Interlibrary Loan.
Databases are large, searchable collections of articles, including scholarly articles. To see all of TLU's databases, visit Databases by Subject.
Here are a few key databases for music:
To see if a journal or magazine is available, either online or in print, look in the Publications by Title list.
Need an item that our library doesn't own? No worries, you can email the title, author and date of what you need to ill@tlu.edu or fill out a form. We can get most (but not all) articles within 2 days and many books within 4-8 days.
For more information, visit our interlibrary loan page.
If you are using an off-campus computer, you will be prompted for your last name (Not your network username but last name only) and your 8-digit TLU ID number.
For some databases, instead of being asked for your instead of your last name and ID number, you will be asked for your normal TLU network username and password (Microsoft 365 Single Sign-On).
Librarians offer in-depth research help.
During library open hours, ask at the main desk for help finding what you need. The desk is usually staffed by student workers - if you have in-depth research questions, just let them know that you want to meet with a librarian.
Click on the Ask a Question tab on the right side of a library web page. It will bring you either to live chat, or to a place where you can leave a message.
830-372-8100 (main desk)
Library directory (list of individual library staff and faculty)
