Table of Contents
Letter from the Chair
Updates from NEMLA’s Program Committee on the Spring 2026 Meeting
Proposed By-laws Amendments
Officer Elections
Noteworthy News
— SUCHO, co-led by Anna Kijas, Wins Award
— Randy Weston Exhibition at Loeb Music Library
— News from Yale
— Andrea Cawelti Presents at MOUG and MLA
— Boston Public Library Streams Playlists on Freegal
— Performance by Cappella Clausura
NEMLA Officers
Publication Information
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Letter from the Chair
I am writing this during a messy snow/rain storm (Winter hasn’t let go yet!) and shortly after a wonderful week of MOUG and MLA. Although I couldn’t attend in person this year, it was wonderful to see so many presentations and to hear what many of us are working on and facing these days. NEMLA librarians Elizabeth Berndt, Andrea Cawelti (with student Oluwafemi Ositade), Jennifer Thom Hadley, Michelle Koth, Carol Lubkowski, Jonathan Manton, and Anne Rhodes all presented at the national conference (apologies if I’ve left anyone out!). It was a great opportunity to learn what our colleagues are doing, and I’m looking forward to catching up on the presentations I missed! Go NEMLA!
And on to the next: on April 17, we will be joining together in person and virtually at Harvard University for our spring chapter meeting. Program information and registration links will be found on the website soon, and logistics for the meeting will make their way to an email box near you shortly thereafter, from our hard working Program Committee. This meeting will also feature our annual business meeting, when I will officially hand off the gavel to Emily Colucci, our chair-elect (though I remain in the chair position until June 30), and announce the results of our vote for Vice Chair. We will also have a discussion of the proposed by-law changes that you were sent for review on March 6th. I hope to see many of you there!
Although committees will not meet during this meeting, we will hear from each of the committee chairs to talk about their activities and membership status. I want to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to consider joining a committee. I am listing below the individual committees with their current chairs and contact information so that you can contact the chairs directly to express interest. Committees provide a great way to learn more about our community, to get to know people, and to give back to our organization. If you go to the NEMLA website, you’ll notice that many of the committees have members whose terms are ending this year.
NEMLA Committees (http://nemla.musiclibraryassoc.org/organization/committees/)
- Education and Outreach: Marci Cohen (rockhackcohen at yahoo.com) (term ends 2027)
- EDIJ: Patrick Quinn (patrick.quinn at tufts.edu) (term ends 2026)
- Instruction: Carol Lubkowski (clubkows at wellesley.edu) (term ends 2026)
- Nominating: Judy Pinnolis (jpinnolis at gmail.com) (term ends 2026)
- Program: Emily Colucci (ecolucci at bates.edu) (term ends 2026)
- Publications: Jennifer Hadley (jthom at wesleyan.edu)
- Technical Services: Andrea Cawelti (cawelti at fas.harvard.edu) (term ends 2027)
All of the committees have openings, and we hope you can step up to keep our organization healthy and productive!
And, for those of you who are interested in more chances to become involved, there is also the opportunity to serve as an officer for the 2026-2027 year (EDIJ officer/committee chair and a social media person (non-elected)) and for 2027-2028 (Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer) Please get in touch with the nominating committee if you would like to contribute at this level.
I hope to see you all in April!
Anne Adams
Chair, NEMLA
Manager of Metadata Creation for Music
Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library
Harvard University
anneadams at fas.harvard.edu
Updates from NEMLA’s Program Committee on the Spring 2026 Meeting
- NEMLA’s Spring 2026 meeting will be hosted virtually and in-person mainly in the Forum Room in Lamont Library at Harvard University, on Friday, April 17, 2026.
- A dinner will be held the evening prior, on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 6:00 pm for those already in Cambridge or who will be arriving early and wish to socialize. More details regarding whereabouts TBA; look out for an email on NEMLA-L.
- CFP reminder: Proposals for the Spring 2026 meeting are due by EOD Friday, March 20, 2026. The Program Committee welcomes all topics of relevance to music librarianship. We especially encourage early-career professionals, students, and first-time presenters to share their work with our community. Proposals should include a summary of approximately three hundred words describing your topic, the approximate length of the presentation, and any technological or other needs or concerns you foresee. We would be happy to consider proposals for presentations of any length, including twenty minutes, thirty minutes, and forty-five minutes, as well as panel discussions and lightning talks. Please submit proposals to Program Committee Chair and Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: Emily M. Colucci (ecolucci at bates.edu).
- Registration for the Spring 2026 meeting opens soon! Please be on the lookout for an email from NEMLA’s Secretary-Treasurer, Hannah Ferello, via the NEMLA listserv. Once registration opens, please register no later than EOD, Thursday, April 9, 2026 so Harvard Library staff can ensure numbers for catering and be able to present Harvard Library Security with a list of attendees’ and presenters’ names about a week in advance for ease of day-of building entry.
- The Program Committee is working hard to finalize some logistics—in turn creating an exciting agenda for the day, including library tours and collection viewings as well as program sessions and a discussion on NEMLA’s recently updated By-laws as part of the annual business meeting.
Stay tuned!
The Program Committee:
Emily M. Colucci (NEMLA Program Committee Chair & Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect; Erin Conor; Carol Lubkowski; Sandi-Jo Malmon; Brianna Pérez; Laura K.T. Stokes
Submitted by Emily M. Colucci, NEMLA’s Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect & Library Assistant, Access Services, at the George and Helen Ladd Library, Bates College
Save the date for the NEMLA Spring Meeting — April 17, 2026 — at Harvard University
Proposed By-laws Amendments
The Board has once again put together a few amendments (see this PDF) to better align our by-laws with our current practices, as well as to clean up grammar and some outdated language. Please note that the PDF summary only includes sections that have edits. If a section is missing from the document, it is because there are no changes to the text for that section. We will have a brief discussion of these proposed amendments at the Spring meeting on April 17. Voting will be conducted by online ballot, which will be distributed via email soon thereafter. In order to guarantee that you receive your ballot, please be sure your NEMLA membership is up to date. If you have any questions about your current membership status or how to renew your membership, please reach out to Hannah Ferello.
( Proposed By-law amendments | Current By-laws)
Submitted by Hannah Ferello, NEMLA Secretary-Treasurer,
Catalog and Serials Librarian, New England Conservatory
NEMLA Officer Elections
It is time for NEMLA to elect officers for the coming year. There is currently one open position: Vice-Chair.
The ballot is available here. Please submit your responses by 5pm on April 10, 2026.
Members will be informed of the ballot results at the Spring meeting on April 17, 2026. New officer terms will begin on July 1, 2026.
Thank you for participating!
Hannah Ferello, NEMLA Secretary/Treasurer
Noteworthy News
SUCHO, co-led by Anna Kijas, Wins Award
In December 2025, Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online, an initiative established and co-led by Anna Kijas (Tufts University), received the 2025 Karl Preusker medal from Bibliothek & Information Deutschland (BID), the umbrella organization of all German library associations. This is the first time in the prize’s history that two awards were given, and we are honored to have received the award alongside the Ukrainian Library Association. BID is awarding the annual Preusker medal in honor of the founder of the first German public library. It is considered one of the highest honours in German librarianship. Since 1996, it has been awarded to individuals and institutions that have made outstanding contributions to librarianship and information science.
Dr. Karen Schmohl, President of BID, wrote that “The jury justified its decision as follows: Despite attacks, the library association keeps libraries functioning, turns them into safe havens, safeguards cultural and linguistic heritage, offers practical and psychological support, and sends a strong signal for free, democratic access to knowledge. SUCHO works internationally to save Ukraine’s endangered digital cultural assets, archives large amounts of data, and thus creates a digital safe haven for cultural memory. Both are examples of courage, solidarity, professional excellence, and the central role of libraries, archives, and digital infrastructures in the resilience of democratic societies.”
Image credit for both photos: Katrin Neuhauser © 2025, Bibliothek Information Deutschland (BID)
Submitted by Anna Kijas, Assistant Director, Digital Scholarship & Lilly Music Library, Tisch Library | Tufts University
Loeb Music Library Exhibition Celebrates Its Randy Weston Collection
A handmade concert poster from 1960s Mali. An invitation to a party at Duke Ellington’s Riverside Drive abode. A snowy practice session in the French Alps. On Monday, April 6th, the Loeb Music Library at Harvard University unveils a wide-ranging and visually rich exhibit celebrating the legacy of the original, prolific and intense pianist Randy Weston. Music On a Mission draws from Randy Weston recordings and papers, 1930-2018, an enormous collection of archival materials from all periods of the composer and pianist’s career, in addition to the Loeb Music Library’s rich jazz holdings and images from Harvard Library and beyond.
Co-curated by Peter Laurence, Librarian for Recorded Sound and Media, and Christina Linklater, Curator of the Isham Memorial Library.
For more information, including hours and directions, please visit our website.
Submitted by Christina Linklater, Curator of the Isham Memorial Library and Houghton Special Collections Cataloger, Director, U.S. RISM Office, Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library and Technical Services for Archives and Special Collections, Harvard Library
News from Yale
At this year’s annual Music Library Association conference, Yale Library was very well represented. Yale Library colleagues presented at two Saturday sessions. Anne Rhodes and Jonathan Manton, along with Carl Testa, Tri-Centric Foundation Archives Manager and Stephanie Akau, Archivist, Library of Congress, shared their collaboration on “The Work of Anthony Braxton in Archival Collections.” Following that presentation, David Floyd and Mickey Koth participated in “Cataloging Documentation on the Move,” discussing the documentation of music cataloging practice along with the migration adventures of “Music Cataloging at Yale” as it has journeyed through various platforms into Confluence. At the annual business meeting, Suzanne Lovejoy offered a remembrance of our colleague, Kendall Crilly.
Also, at the business meeting, the MLA Citation was awarded to Michelle (Mickey) Koth, our recently retired Music Cataloger here in the Gilmore Music Library. The MLA Citation is the association’s tribute for lifetime achievement given in recognition of distinguished service to music librarianship over a career. Recipients become Honorary Members of MLA.
The Citation reads: “Michelle “Mickey” Koth has been a tireless advocate, mentor, teacher and supportive colleague whose goal has always been to provide cataloging of only the very highest standards, sharing tirelessly and unstintingly of her time and knowledge. A prolific contributor to the profession, Mickey has created easily accessible tools that provide specialized information about the art of music cataloging through numerous articles, her book Uniform Titles for Music, her tenure as Editor for the Music Cataloging Bulletin, her committee work, and of course, the monumental “Music Cataloging at Yale.” As one of the first contributors to the NACO Music Project, Mickey has provided more than 40,000 new or changed entries and prepared the NACO Music Project Handbook (1995). We are indebted to Mickey for her dedication, diligence, humor through it all, and the creation of tools that have been and will continue to be indispensable to generations of music catalogers and to all music librarians. “
At the business meeting when Mickey was announced as the recipient, she was honored with a long and loud standing ovation. Her contributions to the profession and to Yale Library are beyond measure. We are grateful to Mickey and we celebrate this award with her.
In other news, our wonderful colleague, Suzanne Eggleston Lovejoy retired on 6 March. Suzanne leaves an amazing record of contributions to Yale Library and to the profession. (And yes, we do have her on speed dial!). Congratulations to Suzanne!
Speaking of retirees, both Mickey Koth and Diane Napert have returned to the Gilmore Music Library as “Casuals/Retirees” working closely with David Floyd, cataloging 78s from our Collection of Historical Sound Recordings. We’re thrilled that they were both excited to come back and work on this important project.
Submitted by Ruthann Boles McTyre, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Director. Irving S. Gilmore Music Library. Yale University
Andrea Cawelti Presents at MOUG and MLA
Andrea Cawelti presented virtually at MOUG in Feb. 2026, on some of the more arcane (but important) concepts of special collections cataloging for production music catalogers to consider. Did you know that changes to more than 20% of printing surfaces in a given score constitutes a new edition? Or that cover illustrations on 19th century sheet music are sometimes drawn directly from the performances? These details and more can be gleaned from Andrea’s slides, available for the asking. At MLA, she reprised and expanded her NEMLA presentation with Femi Ositade on dating music, which included a live demo, and discussion of how to broaden the IMSLP lookup with other online possibilities. MLA slides are available for in CVENT.
Submitted by Andrea Cawelti, Ward Music Cataloger,
Technical Services for Archives and Special Collections, Houghton Library, Harvard University
Boston Public Library Streams Public Playlists on Freegal
The Boston Public Library recently added Freegal to its streamed resources, and one of the ways the library has been using it has been creating playlists to share with the public. There’s a monthly list that is a collection selected by all library staff that choose to participate. Here is the most recent one. Staff have also created several themed lists. Two that Rebecca has created are the Coffee Hour Jazz (“Midtempo tunes for a midafternoon pick-me-up”) and Classical Music to Study To (“Need to get some work done? Classical music can help you concentrate!”)
Submitted by Rebecca Hunt, Performing Arts Librarian, Research Services Department, Boston Public Library
Cappella Clausura Presents Blood and Honey: Modern Visions of Hildegard
The vocal ensemble Cappella Clausura presents “Blood and Honey: Modern Visions of Hildegard,” a powerful concert exploring the enduring legacy of the visionary medieval composer Hildegard von Bingen. Performances will take place March 21 at Grace Episcopal Church and March 22 at Emmanuel Church. The program weaves together medieval chant with new works by emerging composers.
At the heart of the program is the story of Saint Ursula, a young woman who defied the expectations of her time. Rather than marry as her father intended, Ursula devoted herself to the Christian church and led thousands of women in choosing independence and spiritual devotion over traditional roles. Her story inspired Hildegard, who wrote vivid chants and poetry celebrating Ursula’s courage and the idea that women are complete in themselves.
Blood and Honey pairs Hildegard’s luminous chants for Ursula with brand new micro-commissions by five emerging composers: Chloe DeSteno, Stella G. Gitelman Willoughby, Natti Robinson, Katie Semro, and Alex Van Sant. Each composer responds to Hildegard’s music in a distinct way, creating a dialogue across centuries that blends medieval mysticism with contemporary sound.
“This is one of my favorite kinds of concerts,” says Cappella Clausura’s Music Director, Holly Druckman. “It combines early music and new music in equal parts and explores the ways they inform one another. We’ve been able to dive deeply into medieval performance practice while also collaborating closely with up-and-coming composers.”
Though Hildegard wrote nearly 900 years ago, her music continues to feel strikingly modern – celebrating and the power of women’s voices with a boldness that still resonates today. In Blood and Honey, Cappella Clausura brings that legacy into the present, inviting audiences to hear Hildegard’s visionary work through the perspectives of today’s composers.
Concert Information:
Saturday, March 21 – Grace Episcopal Church
Sunday, March 22 – Emmanuel Church
More information and tickets: clausura.org
Submitted by Stella G. Gitelman Willoughby https://www.stellagmusic.com/
NEMLA Officers
Publication Information
New England Quarter Notes is published quarterly in the fall, winter, spring, and summer.
Back issues may be accessed from:
http://nemla.musiclibraryassoc.org/resources/newsletters/
Address all correspondence concerning editorial matters to:
Jennifer Hadley
jthom at wesleyan.edu
Inquiries concerning subscription, membership and change of address should be directed to:
Hannah Ferello
hannah.ferello at necmusic.edu
Membership year runs July 1st to June 30th.
Regular Personal Membership:$12.00
Student and Retired Membership:$6.00
Institutional Membership$16.00
Return to the New England Music Library Association home page