The Digital Scriptorium of the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library at Duke University is pleased to announce the availability of the Historic American Sheet Music web site. The result of over a year of work by project staff and Duke University students, the site includes digital images of over 16,000 pages of sheet music from 3042 pieces published in the United States between 1850 and 1920. The selection presents a significant perspective on American history and culture. The sheet music chosen for digital reproduction represents a wide variety of music types including bel canto, minstrel songs, protest songs, sentimental songs, patriotic and political songs, plantation songs, Civil War songs, spirituals, dance music, songs from vaudeville and musicals, "Tin pan alley" songs, and songs from World War I. The collection is particularly strong in antebellum Southern music, Confederate imprints, and Civil war songs. Also included are piano music of marches, variations, opera excerpts, and dance music, including waltzes, quadrilles, polkas, etc. A rich Encoded Archival Description (EAD) database of information about the music is searchable and browsable in a variety of ways, and the site includes background information about the music itself as well as the social, cultural, and political events that shaped the songs and that are depicted in the pieces. Also included is technical information helpful to those considering or planning digital imaging projects. The images and database information were created as part of the Library of Congress/Ameritech National Digital Library Competition and will become part of the Library of Congress' American Memory site early next year. Libraries wishing to add this resource to their catalogs may use OCLC record #40385827. Visit the Historic American Sheet Music site at: http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sheetmusic/ Stephen Miller Project Manager, Historic American Sheet Music Project Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library Duke University [log in to unmask]