University of Pittsburgh Library System

Welcome!

Located in the basement of the Music Building, the Finney Music Library supports the learning and research needs of the Music Department (graduate programs in composition and theory, ethnomusicology, jazz studies, and musicology, and the undergraduate program), the University’s Oakland campus, and the wider local, regional, and international music communities.

The Finney Music Library is much more than just a collection of music resources. We’re a laboratory for independent exploration and high technology scholarship. We offer sophisticated playback equipment for CDs, LPs, DVDs, and VHS tapes, public computers, and quiet and comfortable places to study. We also have a dedicated collaborative workspace, with video monitor and playback equipment for your group to study. Our highly trained and dedicated library staff organizes and assists with the collections, equipment, and networked technology. We also provide formal instruction in the use of our resources.

All of our available collections are in open stacks and include books, journals, and music scores. Miniature scores, oversized, and folio scores are housed separately. Rich holdings in Western art music, world music, and popular music of all kinds make our library a one-stop-shop for music study. Our distinguished reference collection contains music dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, and collected works editions of composers from J. S. Bach to Shostakovich, and everything in-between. 

Sound and video recordings are housed in closed stacks behind our Circulation Desk. This area also houses the John Coltrane tenor solos collection and a collection of jazz fake books. Our rare collections include important music imprints and manuscripts from 15th to the 19th centuries, and an impressive collection of facsimiles of composer manuscripts of all periods. If you need help finding materials or assistance with your research, ask us at the Circulation and Reference desks.

Coupled with the impressive collections in all of Pitt’s campus and regional libraries, the Finney Music Library stands as one of the most important music research centers in the United States.