Contact the Special Collections Research Services Team!
Email: spcollections@psu.edu
Telephone: 814-865-1793
Campus Address:
104 Paterno Library
University Park Campus
Vo slavū svi͡atȳę ēdinosūshtnȳę, zhivotv[orę]shtīę i nērazdělimȳę Tr[oĭt͡sȳ, ] Ott͡sa, i Syna, i Svi͡atagō [Dukha]
Rare Books & Manuscripts, Slavic Collection
Perkins Foss papers (09792)
incidental capture of music on audio-visual materials
Korean art guide
Penn State University Archives, Lucas Olympic collection
Abụ ụmụ praịmarị
Rare Books & Manuscripts, Blockson Collection
Catalog Searches
Our holdings of Non-Western (World) music are smaller and more dispersed throughout Special Collections. You'll find examples of Non-Western music mainly through our book collections, which can be searched via the Catalog and refined using the left-hand menu. Below are examples of Catalog search techniques that help uncover unique items--pay attention to how using subject, language, advanced search, and keywords can help you locate materials!
- Nigerian Children's SongsWhen using a broad keyword search like "music", changing the language can help identify items from specific geographical locations
- Eastern Orthodox hymnsStarting with the "Liturgy" subject option expands the options to include more subjects like "Hymns".
- Blockson book collectionUsing the advanced search option and setting the "Location" drop-down to a single collection can help you narrow your search within large book collections that span multiple subjects. Blockson contains resources on music from the African diaspora.
- Korean Art GuideEven resources published in a different language from the culture it speaks about can be helpful. This Art Guide--produced for the Seoul Olympics in 1988--contains chapters about Korean music by Korean authors that provides important first-hand cultural context.
- Australian Printed Folk Music collectionSome materials are more easily found by searching the location (advanced search feature), and though they say collection they are individually cataloged items.
Archival Searches
Archival collections--which can contain books, documents, relics, and audio-visual materials--are described by their finding aids and searchable with keywords. Documentation and recordings of Non-Western music may be captured incidentally even if it is not apparent in the title or by the topic of the collection.
- Guide to the Thomas and Henry Ingram Moody memorial collection of AustralianaThis collection focuses on Australian art and music, including sheet music and clippings related to individual artists and events. Researchers may encounter racist depictions of Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander communities, demonstrating the societal perceptions of Indigenous communities at the time.
- Perkins Foss papersThis collection focuses on Foss' research of Urhobo art in southern Nigeria from the 1970s to the present. Incidental capture of Urhobo music can be found on audio-visual materials. NOTE: This collection is minimally processed and older audio-visual materials may have to be digitized prior to Reading Room access.
- Bernard Guilbert Guerney papersBernard Guerney was born Mykolaiv, Ukraine and his collection includes documentation of his professional career as a translator as well as personal items. Some materials focus on Russian music and music history.