[PADG:238] RE: Binding music distributed as loose sheets

["Carli, Alice" <acarli@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I prefer either to guard the sheets together into folios and sew them (for
scores under 40 pages, i.e. under 10 guarded folios) or send them for
commercial double fan binding for thicker scores. The guarding goes a lot
faster than you'd think; I can send directions if anyone wants, or it's
described in the MLA Basic Manual "Binding and Care of Printed Music"
(Scarecrow). When publishers do this as an alternative to using comb
bindings I applaud enthusiastically, since it means we don't have to cut off
holes (and half the margin) before sending them for binding. 

Sometimes this is done because each sheet is to be used separately, either
in aleatoric music (we've bought a lot of Cage recently...) or because the
composer didn't or couldn't arrange decent page turns. In that case I curse
the composer, but still generally end up binding sheets together (sometimes
in part-like groups, either standard or accordion-style, if that seems
appropriate). I figure that while it's inconvenient for performance to have
the sheets bound together, it's even more inconvenient to have 3 of 12
sheets missing after the first circulation. If the composer can't make the
music bindable and useable at the same time, the photocopier's right around
the corner...

Alice Carli
Conservator
Sibley Music Library

> -----Original Message-----
> From: S. Tyra Grant [mailto:stgrant@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 1:53 PM
> To: padg@xxxxxxx
> Subject: [PADG:237] Binding music distributed as loose sheets
> 
> 
> Music publishers are increasingly printing and distributing 
> music as groups 
> of loose single leaves that are held (folderlike) in a 
> cover---rather than 
> stapled or sewn through the fold.  I'm seeking a good 
> solution to manage 
> these published loose sheet music materials---either in-house 
> or outsourced.
> Thanks,
> Tyra Grant
> Head, Preservation Department
> Northwestern University Library
> Phone: 847-491-4672 
> 
>