Work Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

11-20-2023

Department

The Library

Keywords

sound recordings; Jewish music; audio collections; libraries; archives; sound-recording collections; music cataloging; Jewish culture; cultural preservation; cultural resources

Abstract

This chapter examines several significant Jewish music sound-recording collections in the United States, most of which originated as private collections but are now housed at academic institutions. Their origins provide insight into individual agency tied to different understandings of Jewish music. A discussion of their complexities from a library-science perspective focuses on conservation and preservation as well as bibliographic control and other issues in which the complexities of Jewish music unfold more clearly. Authenticity, comprehensiveness, and other constructions demonstrate how sound-recording collections reflect the overall difficulties of defining and delimiting Jewish music. Subsequent discussions and observations on access and audiences inside and outside the academy ultimately reveal the fine line of individuality and collectivity that Jewish music sound-recording collections navigate.

Comments

This material was originally published by Oxford University Press in The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Music Studies, edited by Tina Frühauf, available in full at https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/55202.

Available for download on Thursday, November 20, 2025

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