{"id":9578,"date":"2024-09-11T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/library.qc.cuny.edu\/?p=9578"},"modified":"2025-08-14T13:30:54","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T17:30:54","slug":"music-library-first-year-experience-program-host-vinyl-lp-listening-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/library\/2024\/09\/11\/music-library-first-year-experience-program-host-vinyl-lp-listening-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Music Library & First Year Experience Program Host Vinyl LP Listening Party"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#E71939″ custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”82%” max_width=”82%” custom_padding=”5px||5px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/127\/2025\/02\/qclogo_redesign_2023.png” alt=”Queens College Library Logo” title_text=”Queens College Library Logo” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”150px” width_tablet=”18%” width_phone=”30%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/127\/2025\/02\/cropped-2024-09-10_Rosenthal_Library-08-scaled-3.jpg” alt=”Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library” title_text=”Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ specialty=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”50px||50px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ specialty_columns=”3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|true|true” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title author=”off” comments=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” dbdb_show_tags=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”20px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

By: Alex Crowley, Substitute Visual & Performing Arts-Music Librarian<\/strong><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/127\/2024\/09\/LP_selections.jpg” alt=”LP Selections” title_text=”LP Selections” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”10px|10px|10px|10px|true|true” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, the Music Library re-opened after hours (5-7pm) to host students from the First Year Experience (FYE) program for a Vinyl LP Listening Party. More than a dozen students, accompanied by FYE staffers Jorge Ivan Velez, Saarah Ahsan, and Elisheva Conway, joined me for an introduction to the Music Library and a basic turntable tutorial session that included some \u201ccrate digging\u201d through selections taken from the Music Library\u2019s vinyl record collection.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Vinyl LP Listening Party<\/p><\/div>

\"Vinyl

Vinyl LP Listening Party<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

I have been conducting an inventory and reorganizing the long-neglected record collection since early Spring, so hosting this event with FYE was a great opportunity to introduce students to both the music collection and the analog music-listening experience.<\/p>\n

The Music Library\u2019s pair of Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntables each have external adapters for four sets of headphones, making it possible for multiple people to simultaneously listen to the same record. Attending students picked a few albums to check out and listen to in small groups. They had questions about the various technical functions (pitch adjustment, arm weight, skate control) on the turntable device and remarked upon the \u201ccrackling\u201d noise of the records\u2014more noticeable on some albums than others.<\/p>\n

\"Technics

Technics SL-1200 MK2<\/p><\/div>\n

Engaging with the LPs is a reminder that for decades these records were the only game in town, so the library would have held multiple copies of many of these albums. One student who selected a Billie Holliday album noted that Holliday\u2019s work is largely absent from streaming services, and it is likely that among the approximately 5,000 LPs in the collection are many others that cannot be found on any streaming service.<\/p>\n

\"LP

LP Selections<\/p><\/div>\n

Now that the inventory of the collection is complete and the improved finding aid for the LPs, \u201cVinyl LP Collection,\u201d<\/a> is functional, a future project for the Music Library may lie in taking stock of rare LPs and those that are not available digitally. In the meantime, all QC students are welcome to browse the LP collection and come to the Music Library for a record break.<\/p>\n

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On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, the Music Library re-opened after hours (5-7pm) to host students from the First Year Experience (FYE) program for a Vinyl LP Listening Party. More than a dozen students, accompanied by FYE staffers Jorge Ivan Velez, Saarah Ahsan, and Elisheva Conway, joined me for an introduction to the Music Library and a basic turntable tutorial session that included some \u201ccrate digging\u201d through selections taken from the Music Library\u2019s vinyl record collection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":12832,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\r\n

By: Alex Crowley, Substitute Visual & Performing Arts-Music Librarian<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, the Music Library re-opened after hours (5-7pm) to host students from the First Year Experience (FYE) program for a Vinyl LP Listening Party. More than a dozen students, accompanied by FYE staffers Jorge Ivan Velez, Saarah Ahsan, and Elisheva Conway, joined me for an introduction to the Music Library and a basic turntable tutorial session that included some \u201ccrate digging\u201d through selections taken from the Music Library\u2019s vinyl record collection.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n\r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n\r\n
Vinyl LP Listening Party<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n

\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n

I have been conducting an inventory and reorganizing the long-neglected record collection since early Spring, so hosting this event with FYE was a great opportunity to introduce students to both the music collection and the analog music-listening experience.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\"\"\r\n
Technics SL-1200 MK2<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n

The Music Library\u2019s pair of Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntables each have external adapters for four sets of headphones, making it possible for multiple people to simultaneously listen to the same record. Attending students picked a few albums to check out and listen to in small groups. They had questions about the various technical functions (pitch adjustment, arm weight, skate control) on the turntable device and remarked upon the \u201ccrackling\u201d noise of the records\u2014more noticeable on some albums than others.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\"\"\r\n
LP Selection<\/em>s<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n

Engaging with the LPs is a reminder that for decades these records were the only game in town, so the library would have held multiple copies of many of these albums. One student who selected a Billie Holliday album noted that Holliday\u2019s work is largely absent from streaming services, and it is likely that among the approximately 5,000 LPs in the collection are many others that cannot be found on any streaming service.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Now that the inventory of the collection is complete and the improved finding aid for the LPs, \u201cVinyl LP Collection,\u201d<\/a> is functional, a future project for the Music Library may lie in taking stock of rare LPs and those that are not available digitally. In the meantime, all QC students are welcome to browse the LP collection and come to the Music Library for a record break.<\/p>\r\n

\r\n

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