UCLA Walter H. Rubsamen Music Library

Beginnings The music library began in an east–west corridor of Powell Library in 1942. The starting collection consisted of roughly 8,000 orchestral and choral scores inherited from the Federal Music Project as well as 3,000 books and scores transferred from the main University Library. The collection was first managed by Leon Strashun, who took a special interest in binding and maintaining the collection's music scores until his retirement in 1946. In 1947, Ruth Doxsee took over as music librarian. Doxsee helped to host weekly concerts of recorded music for library staff. She also served on an interdepartmental committee dedicated to handling the "many special technical challenges" that arose while cataloging the music collection. When the music collection's corridor was needed for transit to the library's new east wing, the music collection was moved to a room at the south end of the library's west wing. As the collection grew, this space was increasingly cramped, and the Department of Music quickly developed a need for a dedicated music library space. On February 27, 1976, the library was named after Walter H. Rubsamen, professor emeritus of the UCLA Department of Music. Rubsamen was an important figure in developing the collection at the music library, taking a special interest in cultivating a ballad opera collection and bringing English music materials to the Clark Library. ==Collections==

The music library's collection has grown in conjunction with the music program at UCLA, and in particular the departments of musicology and ethnomusicology. In 1980, the collection's main focus was on music from the 13th to 17th centuries to suit the needs of a musicology faculty with a focus on historical methods. As the Musicology and Ethnomusicology Departments became more interested in cultural critiques of music in many genres and traditions, the collection focused on popular music materials in order to meet students' research needs in classes like "Gay and Lesbian Perspectives in Pop Music," "History of Electronic Dance Music", and "Cultural History of Rap." Contemporary Music Score Collection Developed by music librarian Matthew Vest in 2020, the Contemporary Music Score Collection consists of digital open access scores published as part of the Contemporary Score Edition series, the first open access new music series published by a library. The collection includes music by UCLA students, faculty, and scores commissioned by the Hugo and Christine Davise Fund. Ella Fitzgerald Collection The Ella Fitzgerald Collection consists of roughly 46,000 pieces of sheet music from Fitzgerald's personal collection, as well as related correspondence. It is now housed in UCLA Performing Arts Special Collections. Other Collections The music library has acquired various smaller collections over time. The Donovan Meher Collection focuses on rock music over a thirty-year span, from roughly 1980–2010. Music librarian Callie Holmes helped curate The Southern California Punk Collection and the Los Angeles Hip Hop Collection, which include late 20th century popular music materials from the Southern California area. Other rare items, including facsimiles, manuscript fragments, and sound recordings, are kept in the music library reading room cabinet. ==Outreach and Events==

In 1973, the music library began taking on interns from UCLA's new Master's of Library & Information Science degree program, allowing students to gain on-the-job training by completing a large scale project in the music library over the span of several months. The Rubsamen Music Library is known for hosting community events such as conferences, classes, and concerts, including an ongoing series of Jam Sessions in collaboration with students from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. In 2012, music librarian David Gilbert began using the Hugo and Christine Davise Fund to support free admission for concerts by new music artists and organizations like the Lyris Quartet, Gloria Cheng, Piano Spheres, == References ==