Library of Congress Subject Headings
In the UNC library catalog, each entry contains not only the citation information for each item, but also a list of subject headings that help to describe the item's content. These subject headings are consistent throughout the catalog so that users can search a subject heading to retrieve all the records that include it. To search by subject heading, go to the library catalog, enter a heading in the "Enter Search" box, choose "Subject Heading" as the Search Type, and search. The following subject headings are provided as a starting point:

Ballads, English – United States
Bluegrass music.
Blues (Music) -- Discography
Blues (Music) -- History and criticism. (LC)
Country music -- Discography
Country music -- History and criticism. (LC)
Fiddle tunes
Folk music -- History and criticism. (LC)
Folk music -- Southern States -- History and criticism.
Folk music -- United States
Folk songs
Hillbilly music
Honky-tonk music
Rock music
Rockabilly music

Library Areas to Browse

In the Music Library's reference room and general collection:

• Encyclopedias of music styles such as blues, country, folk, and rock and roll may be found around ML102, mostly in the reference section.
• Discographies may be found in ML156, again, mostly in the reference section.
• Biographies of individual performers may be found between ML385 and ML429 of the general collection.

The Southern Folklife Collection houses tens of thousands of recordings, mostly of traditional Southern music styles. Their collection includes original, unreleased field recordings as well as rare, out-of-print LP's, 78 RPM and 45 RPM records, radio transcription discs, wax cylinders and just about every type of recordable medium imaginable. To access these recordings, users must request listening copies from the SFC, which may be played in the Manuscripts Dept. reading room. Many of the SFC's holdings (mostly the LP's) are listed in the library catalog; to find other recordings, one must consult print indexes and/or a reference librarian in the Manuscripts Dept. on the 4th floor of Wilson Library.

Because searching unique collections at UNC like the SFC differs from other types of library research, the Manuscripts Dept. has designed a tutorial on manuscripts research. Some of the SFC's finding aids, which broadly describe the various collections available, are available online and are searchable. For assistance with research, users may email, call, or visit the Manuscripts Dept:

Manuscripts Department
CB# 3926, Wilson Library
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890
Telephone: 919-962-1345
Fax: 919-962-3594

last updated 11 March 2004 by Jessica F. Kem