Music Library and Archives

Sheet music and books from the library can now be delivered to our Langford location! To request a loan, please visit our library catalogue, linked above, and place a hold on any items you would like to borrow. On the request form please fill out:

Your full name | Your email
Comments field: Please deliver my item(s) to the Langford location.

Delivery times may vary due to staff availability, please expect a delivery time of approximately one week from the time of placing your hold. For more information on loan durations or delivery times please contact the Librarian.

This library delivery service is only available to registered students, faculty, and staff. If you have never borrowed an item from the Conservatory Library and Archives, the librarian may reach out to you to confirm your account information.

See Library Policy

Please Note: To reduce barriers, the Conservatory library does not charge daily overdue fines for standard library loans. Instead, borrowers remain responsible for the full replacement cost of lost, damaged, or unreturned materials. Please refer to the Conservatory Library and Archives Policy (above) for further information.

Students of the Victoria Conservatory of Music

• Number of items: Maximum 10 at a time.
• Loan: 3 weeks.
• Can request delivery to Conservatory Langford location.
• Can request library scores be digitized or copied at no cost.
• Access to student computer and black/white printing (15 cents/page).
• Can borrow instruments while on campus. Currently available: 2 child’s guitars and 1 ukulele.

Postsecondary Students (Camosun)

• Number of items: Maximum 10 at a time.
• Loan: 6 weeks.
• Can request delivery to Conservatory Langford location.
• Can request library scores be digitized or copied at no cost.
• Access to student computer and black/white printing (15 cents/page).
• Can borrow instruments while on campus. Currently available: 2 child’s guitars and 1 ukulele.

Faculty and Staff (including visiting faculty)

• Number of items: Unlimited.
• Loan: 4 months.
• Access to ‘FACULTY ONLY’ collection of ensemble scores and parts including choral sets, music for wind band, string orchestra, and orchestra.
• Can request delivery to Conservatory Langford location.
• Can request library scores be digitized or copied at no cost.
• Access to student computer and black/white printing (15 cents/page).
• Can borrow instruments. Currently available: 2 child’s guitars and 1 ukulele.
• A library materials fee can be charged during student registration for group classes and other group programs that allows for a budget to purchase music for use in that class. The items purchased will then be placed into the circulating library holdings after the class has finished. Please contact the librarian or the registrar for more information on how to set this up.

Public, Alumni, former Faculty and Staff

• Number of items: Maximum 5 at a time.
• Loan: 3 weeks (no renewals).
• Access to black/white printing (15 cents/page).
• Certain items may be denied circulation to members of the public due to rarity, lack of availability for students of the Victoria Conservatory of Music, or other factors.

Fellow Victoria Music Groups and Organizations

• Please contact the librarian for information on borrowing scores and parts – we are happy to share what resources we can with other music makers in the community!

Please see the following link for your Camosun Library Research Guide.

See Research Guide

If you are unable to visit our location, or if you have an interest in materials that cannot leave the library, our librarian can search for the information you need.

For scans and photocopies, including items from the archives and items designated as being for reference only, the cost is $20/hour (plus $0.15 per page for photocopies). This fee is waved for all currently registered students, faculty, and staff.

Large volumes of requests are difficult to process and digitize, so some requests may either take additional time or be rejected.

Three instruments – a soprano ukulele and two child-sized guitars – are available for students, faculty, and staff to borrow. They cannot be taken off-site but can be borrowed for a few minutes up to a day (with return required by library closing) for use in lessons, solo practice, jamming with friends, or just to try a new instrument. The librarian is happy to help you learn how to tune up, however, if you would like more advice on how to prepare or play please see the reception and registration desk to be connected with one of our instructors.

The following are items that have been identified specifically as missing in our collection. You can also visit our online catalogue (above) for insight as to what other items we might be lacking. Note: Sheet music for voice (ie: art songs) is not yet in our online catalogue.

Donated items should be in excellent condition, and please check for personal items like mail, and potential dangerous allergens such as mold, before bringing them in.

Please note that we cannot accept most older music as it falls apart quickly due to regular use. Thank you for understanding our inability to accept these legacy items that may hold sentimental value to you. We do, however, accept all Canadian music and music by local artists and composers regardless of condition.

General

• RCM books and sets (all instruments, all years, but newer is best)
• All Henle Verlag publications in like-new condition
• Canadian publications/Canadian composers and any items relating to the Victoria Conservatory of Music
• Videogame sheet music
• Suzuki updated/revised series all instruments but particularly for violin, viola, and cello
• Sound advice books by Brenda Braaten and Crystal Wiksyk
• Studio Ghibli music for piano solo, violin/piano, and flute/piano (music from the films such as Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away and Kiki’s Delivery Service)
• Works by György Ligeti

Vocal Music (*Piano Vocal Guitar)

• Handel vocal scores: Solomon, Semele, and Alexander’s Feast
• Strauss 30 songs for voice and piano (high) vocal score, pub. by International Music Company
• Clara Schumann songs
• Bellini I Capuleti e I montecchi
• Monteverdi Vespers
• Great American Songbook
• Copland Old American songs (2nd set)
• Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Queen songbook*)
• New Disney (Nightmare Before Christmas, Frozen, Moana, Encanto, etc.)*
• Taylor Swift*
• Nirvana*
• Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” (Leonard Cohen songbook*)
• Newer musicals (Hadestown, etc.)
• Rent (musical)
• Hamilton (musical)
• Folk songs for solo singers (medium high voice) / edited by Jay Althouse

Piano

• Kabalevsky Op. 88 for Piano
• Shostakovich Waltz No. 2 for Piano
• Rachmaninoff 18th variation from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in D-flat major piano solo

Chamber Ensembles and Orchestras

• Doppler Andante & Rondo Op. 25 for Two Flutes and Piano
• Beethoven Symphony No. 1 (full score/parts for orchestra)
• Shostakovich quartets
• Dohnanyi piano quintet(s)
• Dohnanyi Serenade for violin, viola and cello

Works for Strings

• Violin – Solos for young violinists series
• Violin – Kreutzer violin works
• Violin – Korngold Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
• Viola – Alan Hovhaness Chahagir viola solo
• Viola – Gabe Neils Vier Fantasiestucke Op. 43
• Viola – Miklos Rosza Concerto Op. 37
• Viola – Alessandro Rolla Rondo in G Major for Viola and Orchestra
• Viola – Carl Friedrich Zelter Concerto in E flat
• Viola – Stravinsky Elegy for viola
• Cello – Bach, J.C. Cello Concerto No. 2 for Cello and Piano
• Cello – Elgar Cello Concerto
• Guitar – “The Glassical Guitar” by Frederick Noad

Works for Winds

• Flute – Widor Flute Suite, Op. 34