Description
The contents of this collections consist primarily of correspondence, reference queries,
interdepartmental memos, collection contents, operational records, and acquisition records
of the Music Library and Archive of Recorded Sound during Colby's tenure as Head
Librarian.
Background
Edward Colby was the first music librarian at Stanford and co-founder of the Archive of
Recorded Sound. Colby joined the Stanford staff in 1949, a year after the Department of
Music was founded, and retired in 1978. During his tenure, the music library grew from a
collection of about 800 books and scores and a small number of 78 rpm recordings to a
research collection that could support graduate-level programs. The Archive of Recorded
Sound, a collection of historically important recordings, which Colby founded in 1958 with
alumnus William R. Moran, is now the largest such collection in the western United
States.
Restrictions
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must
be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford
University Libraries, Stanford, California 94305-6064. Consent is given on behalf of Special
Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply
permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright
owner, heir(s) or assigns. See:
http://library.stanford.edu/spc/using-collections/permission-publish.
Availability
The materials are open for research use. Audio-visual materials are not available in
original format, and must be reformatted to a digital use copy.