Ongoing construction on the fourth floor in the Harold B. Lee Library has caused many materials to be relocated, including several from the Music Special Collections.
The Music Special Collection contains several musical archives including the International Harp Archives, the Primrose International Viola Archives and the Capitol Records music archive.
“We have recordings, sheet music and even some artifacts. We also have a large number of collections that are important to Church history,” Music Special Collections assistant Christian Nicholas said. “There’s a lot of cool stuff in here that is surprisingly more accessible to students than they may initially think.”
Many of these items are being moved from the fourth floor to the first floor.
“They’re being reorganized so that the things that need special protection get it and the things that don’t need special protections are easier for students and faculty to access and use,” University Librarian Rick Anderson said.
Anderson said that the library’s collection of vinyl LPs that were previously only accessible with permission will now be open for browsing and check-out when the fourth floor construction is finished. Items relocated to the L. Tom Perry Special Collections will remain there upon completion of the renovations, which Anderson said is scheduled for the end 2024.
“Before, we had some materials on the first floor and some of them on the fourth floor. Now they’re all going to be in one place,” former Music Special Collections employee Michael Luce said.
Music Special Collections curator David Day said he feels the relocation may make it more difficult for students to connect with him and the materials, especially now that his office is located in an area where access is only granted by swiping a card.
English major Emily Royster said she knew Music Special Collections was on the fourth floor but didn’t know that some materials were being relocated. Royster said she also knew where the L. Tom Perry Special Collections are located but said, “I didn’t know there were offices back there.”
If a student wishes to work with materials in Special Collections, they will need to check in as a visitor at the front desk, specify the reason for their visit, obtain a visitor’s pass and place their personal belongings in a locker outside the Special Collections vault. While in the vault, a staff member working with Special Collections will need to remain with the visitor. Special Collections materials must stay in the reading room at all times, Anderson said.
Day said while there may now be a few extra steps to meet with him or interact with the items in Special Collections, he is not too worried. Referencing D&C 123:17, Day said, “We’ll just have to work harder.” Students can visit Day and the Music Special Collections in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections on the first floor of the library.
