Although music may be the most widely experienced and appreciated of the arts, its technical language renders it one of the most obscure when it is to be written down, described, analyzed, and cataloged. In addition, the peculiarities of music publishing formats, their sources of supply and acquisition, and of binding, shelving, circulation, and cataloging, mean that knowledge beyond the usual bookjournal orbits is required of librarians charged with building music collections. This Guide to Developing a Library Music Collection is intended to assist librarians who are new to music collection development, and who want some tips on how to get started.