Welcome
This research guide is intended to introduce you to jazz resources at the Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS) and to those at other libraries, archives, and museums, as well as on the web. Whether you are just beginning to look into a research topic, want to know more about jazz history, or are preparing for a visit to the IJS, this guide describes some helpful tools and sources of information. To learn more about the IJS, including its history, operating hours, location, archival collections, and upcoming public events, please visit the Institute’s website.
Guide Contents
- WebThis section details the online databases and discographies available to Rutgers users and provides information about web resources available to anyone with internet access, including blogs, performer sites, online exhibits, and more.
- PrintThis section details all of the various print materials in IJS collections, including histories, reference works, discographies, biographies, published oral histories, magazines, and academic journals.
- Sound and VideoThis section details the IJS's collections of over 200,000 sound recordings and nearly 1,500 video recordings as well as radio, film, and television programs about jazz; jazz record labels; and notable jazz performance venues.
- ArchivesThis section provides information about how to look for archival collections at the Institute and what collections the Institute holds.
Introduction
Finding materials and resources offered by the Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS) can be complicated or simple, depending on the extent of your research and what you would like to find. Considering the numerous access points for finding materials at the IJS and the extent of all available resources, reading this guide carefully and consulting with IJS staff in advance and during your visit are highly recommended. If you are unable to find what you are looking for, IJS staff will most likely be able to help. Please ask!
Because the IJS is a part of Rutgers University Libraries, much of the collection is accessible through the library catalog, but not everything is searchable there, including special and archival collections. A partial list of these collections and links to archival finding aids and inventories are available on the main IJS website, which is continually updated as the backlog is processed and new collections are acquired.
For books, periodicals, LPs, CDs, DVDs, VHS cassettes, and several other sound recording and video formats, the library catalog is the best place to start your search. If you are part of the Rutgers community and looking for academic journal articles, streaming media, and/or digitized primary sources, the online databases and services to which Rutgers subscribes offer thousands of resources to support your research. These databases are available to public users of Rutgers University Libraries on site in computer labs with public computer workstations.
Materials at Other Rutgers University Libraries
Resources specified in this guide that are held by other Rutgers libraries and are not in a reference section are available for check out by Rutgers ID holders and affiliates. Non-Rutgers users are welcome to use these materials in the library where they are held. These libraries, identified in capital letters in call numbers in this guide, are as follows:
