Finding the Right Notes: An Observational Study of Score and Recording Seeking Behaviors of Music Students

There are several complexities inherent in searching for music materials and many possible starting points both within the library and outside of it. This study uses task observation as well as interviews to determine how undergraduate and graduate music students undertake finding music scores and recordings in an academic setting. It explores what tools and search strategies music students employ, and whether they are more disposed to use YouTube or Google rather than trying to make sense of the wide array of choices and interfaces libraries offer. Results of this study show that context of the search and the end use of the materials are important factors in how and where students search.