OTHER SOURCES: Your Local Library! Especially if you live in Des Moines, Iowa City, or Omaha!

Yes, that's right! That great and awesome American and international institution, the free public library! Almost every town in America has one!

Okay, so I'm sure not every library in Iowa has music from Iowa bands. All I can say is, then fix it! Every library I know is more than happy to take suggestions from patrons! Especially if the work is by a local!

And if you're a local band or artist, I have no doubt whatsoever that any nearby library would be more than happy to carry your cd!

Okay, yes, people could then get your music for free. But I think it's much more likely that someone, who doesn't know you, will discover you than that someone will go search the library to get your cd for free.

Plus, you'll be doing your part to help your local library!


Here's three links about submitting to libraries. They're about submitting books, but it should be pretty much the same process for your cd.

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-a-Self-Published-Book-into-Libraries

http://lindsayburoker.com/interviews-success-stories/getting-your-self-published-book-into-the-library-tips-from-librarian-marlene-harris/

http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/about/submitting-titles-for-review/

If you skipped these links and didn't read them, don't just drop your cd at the donate spot or on the counter! Go see or write to the person in charge of acquisitions!

For Des Moinians, if my googling is right, Marci Behm is the Centralized Acquisitions Librarian.


While we're talking about The Des Moines Public Library, here's some links to many of the Iowa artists that our local library carries:

96 items under the search term "Iowa music" - these include books, films, etc. -
https://desmoin.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results/?ln=en_US&q=iowa+music&rt=false%7C%7C%7CSUBJECT%7C%7C%7CSubject&Submit=Go&rw=0

42 items when we use the search term "Iowa music" and look just for music:
https://desmoin.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results/?ln=en_US&q=iowa+music&rt=false%7C%7C%7CSUBJECT%7C%7C%7CSubject&Submit=Go&rw=0

57 items on advanced search using "sound recording" and "Iowa music":
https://desmoin.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=iowa+music&qf=FORMAT%09Format%09SOUNDDISC%09Sound+Recording

73 items under the subject term "Iowa - Musicians":
http://libhip.dmpl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=14M5W28992049.68623&profile=ce&uri=search=.SW~!Iowa%20--%20Musicians.&term=Iowa%20--%20Musicians.&aspect=subtab38&menu=search&source=~!horizon

But the Des Moines library has nothing on Iowa City! You Iowa Citians are so lucky!

The Iowa City Public Library has the Local Music Project!

You can read all about it at:
- NPR (http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2013/08/22/213863138/a-unique-digital-music-service-for-locals-only)
- Iowa Public Radio (http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2013/08/22/213863138/a-unique-digital-music-service-for-locals-only)
- Little Village (http://littlevillagemag.com/local-music-project-comes-to-the-icpl/)
- The Daily Iowan (http://www.dailyiowan.com/2012/06/14/Arts/28615.html)
- Boing Boing (http://boingboing.net/2012/07/30/iowa-city-public-librarys-l.html)
- Etsy (https://blog.etsy.com/en/the-local-music-project/)
- Hoopla (http://www.hooplanow.com/articles/2581-free-downloads-of-local-music-available-at-the-iowa-city-public-library)
- Hybebot.com (http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2012/08/local-library-licenses-local-music-for-local-listeners.html)
- The Library Journal (http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/06/library-services/iowa-city-library-launches-local-music-project/)
- Librarian.net (http://www.librarian.net/stax/3869/making-it-happen-iowa-city-public-library-licenses-local-music-for-patrons/)
- Library Speak (https://libraryspeak.ca/tag/iowa-city-public-library/)
- The Library as Incubator Project (http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=5056)

But in the words of The Iowa City Public Library:

"Iowa City and Johnson County musicians have kindly (and bravely) leased us the right to offer their music to you. You can thank them by playing these albums often and going out to see them perform live!

"If you have a library card and password, and live in Iowa City or an area that contracts with us (Iowa City, rural Johnson County, Hills or University Heights) you can download this music. Please share the love (but not the files) with friends.

"No overdue fees! Put it on your phone. Play it at parties. Turn it up."

Iowa City Public Library's Local Music Project website:
http://music.icpl.org/

Not to be outdone, The Omaha Public Library, in partnership with Hear Nebraska, has started Download Nebraska. 

The extra bonus with this site is that, although, like Iowa City, you have to be a library cardholder to download, ANYBODY can stream the music.

"To kickstart the project, Hear Nebraska curated the first 50 albums with any eye toward diversity, as well as album quality. Contracts with bands designate the albums to be removed from the site in July 2017. Hear Nebraska and the Omaha Public Library plan to accept submissions for the next round of albums, and will report on how that will work within the next couple months in this daily news column."
- from the Hear Nebraska website

To read more about the project:
- http://hearnebraska.org/hn-and-omaha-public-library-create-download-nebraska-the-good-life-premieres-new-video/
- http://www.omaha.com/go/music/rock_candy/hear-nebraska-and-omaha-public-library-launch-site-offering-free/article_77eba91e-4b3e-11e5-bbcc-4fad494ed79f.html

The Download Nebraska website: https://www.downloadnebraska.org/


If you know of any similar projects from an Iowa library, let me know at iowamusicshowcase@gmail.com!

Now get out and go support your local library like you would your local bands!

Labels: Des Moines, Des Moines Public Library, Download Nebraska, downloads, Iowa City, Iowa City Public Library,libraries, local libraries, Local Music Project, Omaha, Omaha Public Library, Other Sources, streaming