Scope and Contents: The James R. and Susan Neumann Jazz Collection has as its focal point over 100,000 jazz recordings in a variety of formats (78s, 45s, LPs, CDs, DVDs). The Collection also contains a large number of print materials, including approximately 2,000 books on jazz and over 100 titles of jazz and blues periodicals that encompass 125 linear feet of shelf space. There are thousands of musicians’ photographs and autographs, along with additional memorabilia including posters, concert programs, sheet music, record catalogs, and artifacts.
The initial portion of the Collection arrived at Oberlin in October 2011, consisting of 40,000 LPs, 7,000 78s, 125 linear feet of periodicals, and twenty linear feet of concert programs, record catalogs, and sheet music. This part of the Collection is currently being processed, cataloged, and digitized, and portions will be available for use beginning in late fall 2012.
More information on the Collection is available through a 2007 article from the Oberlin Conservatory Magazine and a 2008 article from Down Beat magazine.
To request access to the collection, contact Conservatory Library special collections staff at: con.special@oberlin.edu.