ilfusic edmztion itz societyshelves and cupboards for the preservation of works, a card-index
cabinet and a catalogue; (b) a public reading-room; (c) audition-room
with piano, for the reading of music, and a pick-up for records; (d) a
microfilm-reading apparatus.
Home-lending must be envisaged without the need for guarantees,
except in the case of rare works and manuscripts; reproductions could
be made of these for lending purposes.
Lastly, a particularly important point is, we think, the nature of the
collections, for music is of educational value only in so far as it stimu-
lates thought. Thus, such collections, in addition to musical texts and
scores, should include literary, philosophical, pedagogical and tech-
nical works that will enable uninitiated readers to approach music both
as a science and as an art. This might also be of value to students; for
we all know that, while they must thoroughly master the letter of their
calling, very few, unfortunately, are able to seize the spirit, which is
the only justification of a work of art and alone enables its influence to
be spread. In a given country, each conservatory library should possess
microfilms of all the musical texts or scores held by the other libraries
in that country, if it has no copy of its own. All the collections of such
libraries in any country could be centralized, in the form of microfilms,
at the conservatory of that country’s capital; and this conservatory
alone would be authorized to negotiate with other States.
These libraries should also be supplied with works of musical icono-
graphy, so that beginners and professionals can be familiarized with
types of instruments throughout the ages and the places where music
was held in honour, thus enlivening their studies by giving them a
factual background.
Where there are rare manuscripts or interesting records, a team of
students with diplomas in the history of music might well prepare an
official national publication, entitled ‘manuscripts of conservatory libra-
ries’, indicating the origin of each item.
It would further be advisable to ensure that a fairly large part of the
students’ public performances or of the concerts given under a conser-
vatory’s auspices should, each year, be devoted to works of interest
which the uninitiated might have consulted at the library, though
without being able to form a very precise idea of them as the result of
mere reading.
This programme, even in broad outline, may seem ambitious. Yet
we feel that, in a civilization which is tending to become excessively
materialistic, spiritual values still remain man’s surest refuge; and of
these values we are persuaded that music ranks among the highest. To