Special Collections
Popular American Sheet Music

The Popular American Sheet Music Collection contains over 60,000 items published from the early 19th century to the 1960s, including works by both prominent and obscure composers. The collection includes largely popular music in piano/vocal format and is particularly strong in music of late 19th and early 20th century America.

Special Collections has identified certain areas of interest within this collection to highlight, specifically sheet music from the World War II era and Kansas and Missouri imprints and composers. All of the World War II song titles have been cataloged and appear in the Libraries' online MERLIN catalog. Most of the titles can be found using the subject heading -- World War, 1939-1945 -- Songs and music . Kansas and Missouri imprints are currently being cataloged and can be found using the subject headings  Popular American Sheet Music Collection Kansas Imprints and Popular American Sheet Music Collection Missouri Imprints.

Special Collections is a non-circulating and non-browsing resource center. The Special Collections Reading Room is open to researchers Monday through Friday during the academic year. Public service hours for the current semester are listed at http://library.umkc.edu/spec-col/index.html#hours but researchers are encouraged to call ahead for verification of hours due to University intersessions and other events. Special Collections is located on the fourth floor of the Miller Nichols Library at 5100 Rockhill Road in Kansas City, Missouri. All inquiries concerning access to the collections should be addressed to Special Collections Library Information Specialists Teresa Gipson or Kelly McEniry.