Unlike general collections, sheet music storage presents a few unique challenges. Scores come in all shapes and sizes; some are fragile, some are oversized. And almost all of them need to be easy to access, find, and return without creating unnecessary chaos or clutter. While the wrong storage setup wastes space, it also makes it harder for staff and students to actually use the materials.
Here's how they found it.
When Sheet Music Storage Hits a Sour Note
The old Benjamin F. Ward Music Library at UNC School of the Arts was bursting at the seams. Their collection had ballooned out to 115,000 items, including 55,000 pieces of sheet music. Their space hadn't been able to keep pace with their materials, which were scattered across the floor, shoved under desks, and packed into more than 50 mismatched file cabinets.
"Things were stacked all over the place — in offices, under tables," said Head Librarian Leslie Kamtman. "We always knew where everything was, even if it meant pointing at someone's desk or behind someone's chair. It worked...until it didn't."
Even though the staff made it work, the growing collection was putting increasing strain on access and preservation. Sheet music came in all shapes and sizes, making it hard to shelve properly. Heavy items like LPs and sound recordings needed secure, easy-access storage. And many materials were either too delicate to be handled frequently or too important to risk damage in a makeshift setup.
Creative workarounds kept the collection afloat for a while, but it wasn't a sustainable long-term strategy, especially for an art-focused university where students rely on that collection daily. The UNC School of the Arts needed a music library that supported student success while maintaining the collection and gave students and staff the opportunity to use materials as often as needed.
Without the right sheet music storage systems in place, the collection was at risk of becoming more burden than benefit.
Making Room for the Music (and Everything Else)
To house a music collection right, especially one that's constantly growing, you need a system that adapts. After all, some scores come spiral-bound and oversized, while others live in slim folders or boxed sets. And that's before you get into CDs, LPs, and a whole tech library's worth of recordings.
Luckily, that's exactly what the UNC School of the Arts got with their redesign. Think open-faced cantilever shelving for easy browsing and weirdly-shaped portfolios, or high-density mobile shelving for media that needs to stay organized but accessible. Adjustable heights, clear labeling, and smart configurations make all the difference when you're juggling 100,000+ pieces.
Inside the new 75,000-square-foot Semans Library, all of those pieces found a proper home. Sheet music storage got a major upgrade with custom cantilever shelving designed specifically for oversized scores. Meanwhile, 33-foot-long Spacesaver mobile shelving units glided along rails, giving students access to thousands of CDs, LPs, and miniature scores, and that's all without wasting an inch of floor space.
Everything had a proper home, and what used to feel like a cluttered concerto now felt like a system in sync. The updated system protected fragile pieces while keeping them accessible, no delicate scores lost in deep storage. And it didn't take a warehouse crew to move a shelf. “This is heavy material,” said Christia Thomason, head of the Music Library’s technical services. “But even the smallest staff member can move it with ease.”
"This new building is heads and shoulders above what we had," she continued. "The quality of the compact shelving is exemplary. We're very, very pleased with what went in."