Orchestra Collection

The Orchestra Collection is located on the first floor of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, just past the elevators and the copy room. Due to the specialized nature of the Collection, access is limited to four hours per week and is only open during the concert season, September through June. Materials for summer loan are checked out during the month of June and must be returned before or on the September due date. For more information see Summer Loan.

The Orchestra Collection contains scores and parts for orchestral, choral, operatic, and solo vocal works, representing some 2,000 works in the standard orchestral repertory. It is a fee-based lending library for use by professional, student, and community orchestras. Fees are charged on a sliding scale depending on the status of an orchestra's members as either professionals or amateurs, and the number of items borrowed.

Catalog

Holdings of the Collection are not found in the main NYPL Catalog, but may be browsed or searched in the Orchestra Collection Catalog.

Registration

The Orchestra Collection lends materials to organizations, not individuals. We require representatives of the orchestra, typically conductors or librarians, to apply for use of the collection on the official stationery of the orchestra or its sponsor. Application for borrowing privileges includes payment of a nominal fee, and must be renewed annually.  Three items are needed to register:

1. A letter, on the organization's stationery, granting specific orchestra members permission to borrow material from the Orchestra Collection on their behalf.
2. A completed registration form (PDF).
3. A check for the appropriate amount (as per the fee schedule on the registration form) made out to "NYPL Orchestra Collection."  Cash is also acceptable, but be sure to bring exact change, and to ask for a receipt.

Interlibrary loan

There is no interlibrary loan for this department.

Use of collection

Only registered users may pick up and return material. Borrowing is limited to complete sets of orchestra music. Individual instrumental parts are not available for loan.  The Orchestra Collection's rules spell out all of our policies and procedures.