Libraries

ATM preserves and disseminates the world’s musical and oral traditions through the acquisition of cultural and historical materials of enduring value to advance the educational mission of Indiana University and serve international communities of scholars, patrons, and those whose cultural heritage is represented in the holdings. IU Libraries have the privilege and responsibility to steward the archive in consultation with researchers, faculty, stakeholders, and Indiana University Leadership.

Yes, the vast majority of the ATM was digitized as part of IU's Media Digitization and Preservation Initiative, and ATM objects are stored in the IU Libraries secure climate-controlled book and object repository on the Bloomington campus.

In 2023, ATM moved out of the ground and first floor of Morrison Hall.  ATM staff and services were relocated to the Cook Music Library, which is housed in the world-famous Jacobs School of Music on the Bloomington campus.

Philip Ponella, Wennerstrom-Phillips Music Library Director, is head of the Music Library and director of music information technology services at the Jacobs School of Music. Phil leads the librarian faculty and staff of the Cook Music Library, who collectively hold multiple decades of experience in music libraries and archives, teaching methods, digital collections and services, time-based media services, and preservation. 

There are over 120,000 recordings in the Archives of Traditional Music and hundreds of related artifacts and ephemera. Recordings include traditional music and spoken-word performances from around the globe including though not limited to Africa, China, North America, and South America.  

To access ATM materials not readily available through Media Collections Online or Image Collections Online, contact the ATM staff. Researchers can also visit the Guide to the Archives of Traditional Music to begin exploring.

The ATM Reading Room has relocated from Morrison Hall to the second floor of the Cook Music Library. This newly renovated space has been enclosed to create a dedicated area specifically focused on these priceless collections. Through February 2024, the physical artifacts in the ATM collections are being relocated to IU Libraries' secure climate-controlled book and object repository.  For most of 2023, as the Reading Room space was prepared, ATM staff provided appointments for researchers to access the irreplaceable cultural recordings held by the ATM. 

Beginning December 4, 2023, the ATM Reading Room opened to the public. Students, faculty, and researchers can visit the Reading Room from 9 am to noon, 1 pm to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. ATM staff are excited to welcome visitors to the new space!