Over the years, libraries have preserved musical performances in a variety of formats, from wax phonograph cylinders, to reel-to-reel tapes, to vinyl records, to digital. (Photograph by Michael Clements)
Phonograph
We've come a long way from the days of preserving our musical heritage with phonograph recordings, seen here in this classic image of Frances Densmore recording Blackfoot leader Mountain Chief at the Smithsonian in 1916. (Public domain photograph)
Reel-to-Reel
Reel-to-reel tapes like those shown in this picture from the British Library Sound Archive have been widely used for recording. Some musicians still prefer the sound of analog tape recordings over digital. (Photograph by Andy Powell)
Broken Record
Preservation is crucial since recordings can be damaged, some more easily than others. Vinyl records, for example, are prone to breaks and scratches. (Photograph by Gatis Gribusts)
Unspooled Cassette
Those of us who have used cassette tapes know this problem all too well. (Photograph by Abe Novy)
Dumped VHS Tapes
As popular as they used to be, VHS tapes are no longer the preferred format for watching a video recording of a concert, opera, or other musical performance. (Photograph by Fred Benenson)
Broken CD
Even CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs are becoming passé. (Photograph by Molly Steenson)
Naxos Music Library
Now we have entire music libraries online, like Naxos Music Library. (Screenshot by Barbara Barnett-Stewart)
Listening Stations
Libraries provide access to digital music formats by subscribing to online services like Naxos and by providing listening and viewing stations for their patrons. (Photograph of Princeton University's Mendel Music Library by Sungmin Park)
Music libraries are finding ways to bridge old and new formats. At Duke University Music Library, a student can listen to a vinyl recording while doing rhythm exercises on a computer. (Photograph by Mark Zupan)
Behind all of that technology are librarians, archivists, technicians, and countless other staff members working to preserve our musical heritage. (Photograph by Stanford University Libraries Digital Production Group)