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.

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.

30 Linear Feet

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.

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.