Berkeley Public Library offers extensive music collections on CD, vinyl, and streaming formats. All music recordings on CD or vinyl can be placed on hold and sent to the branch of your choice. More information about streaming and downloadable music available from the library can be found here.
Here's some more information about how our CD and vinyl collections are organized:
Organization of BPL’s Music CD Collection
The CD collection is divided into 39 genres, which are labeled with the letter codes below. You can use our online catalog to browse all of the titles in each genre by clicking on the links in this list.
- B Operas
- BR Opera recitals
- C Choral music
- D Solo vocal music—classical
- EA Orchestral music (not symphonies)
- EB Ballet music
- EC Concertos
- ES Symphonies
- F Chamber music
- GG Guitar solos—classical
- GO Organ solos—classical
- GP Piano & other keyboard solos—classical
- GS String solos (not violin)—classical
- GV Violin solos—classical
- GW Woodwind and Brass solos—classical
- GX Miscellaneous classical solo instruments
- I Electronic, Electronica
- K Musicals
- L Film and TV soundtracks
- MB Blues
- MC Country and Bluegrass
- MG Gospel
- MH Rap and Hip-Hop
- MN New Age/meditation
- MP Popular (Pop, Rock, R&B)
- MQ Popular Collections
- N Jazz
- P U.S. and Canadian folk music
- PN Native American music
World Music
- QA Africa
- QB Asia
- QC South Asia
- QD Pacific Ocean
- QE Europe
- QG British & Irish Isles
- QM Middle East
- QP Caribbean
- QS Latin America
- QX Misc. countries and collections
These codes come from the ANSCR Classification System for Sound Recordings.
CDs can be found at every BPL location, so you can also browse the shelves in person.
Within genres discs are in alphabetical order by the name of the group or the last name of the performer. For instance, all Green Day recordings will be shelved together in the MP section.
There are always exceptions - for example Jimi Hendrix solo albums will be listed alphabetically under H (for his last name) but Jimi Hendrix Experience albums will be shelved under J, since the name of the group starts with a J. It's always best to check the catalog or ask the staff if you're not sure where to find something.
You can also search for CDs in the online catalog by typing in the name of the artist, album, or song and limiting the format to "CD Music."
Organization of BPL’s Vinyl Collection
The vinyl collection uses a different classification system, with 27 genres assigned as follows:
- B Songs
- C Choral Music
- D Solo instrumental
- E Educational
- EM Music minus one
- ES Sound effects & Environmental sounds
- F Chamber music
- H Concertos
- L Orchestral
- LB Blues
- LCW Country & western
- LF Folk music
- LG Gospel
- LK Musicals & Soundtracks
- LM Popular music
- LO Operas (complete)
- LP Jazz
- LX Holiday Music
- N World music
- S Spoken
- SD Drama
- SH Humor
- SK Radio shows
- SP Poetry
- SR Prose readings
- SRA Prose readings (abridged)
- YP Children’s
Again, you can click on any of the links above to browse titles in that genre in the online catalog.
To browse the vinyl collection in person, visit the Central Library's 5th floor Art & Music Department, or the 4th floor Children's Department for children's recordings.
Within each genre, albums are assigned numbers based on the order in which they were added to the library's collection. This means that it's not as easy to find a specific artist in the vinyl collection without using the online catalog, because all of the recordings by the same artist are not necessarily next to one other.
You can also search for vinyl in the online catalog by typing in the name of the artist or album and limiting the format to "Vinyl Music."