With a wealth of professional experience behind her, Deborah Campana has many plans for the development of the conservatory library's collection as she begins her tenure as Conservatory Librarian this fall. "I am thrilled to be working here," she said in a recent interview. "The staff is wonderful--all well-qualified, dedicated, and pleasant people to be around. And, the conservatory's music library has a collection that has been carefully cultivated and well-managed. I look forward to making it grow."
Campana's specific plans for that growth include spearheading an effort to finish the second floor of the library wing. "We're not starting from ground zero. The plans have been there since the wing was constructed ten years ago, but we need to revisit and update those plans before we can deliver an estimate." She says the new wing will house mainly stacks for the library collection and that the space is desperately needed. "There is never enough space, especially in music libraries because scores and music CD's cannot be transferred to digital files. Music will always live on the printed page. More space is the eternal concern for libraries."
She would know. Before coming to Oberlin, Campana served as Music Public Services Librarian at Northwestern University for eleven years, where she also held positions as Acting Head of the Music Library and Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the School of Music. A graduate of Ohio University, Campana received her Master of Music and Ph.D. in Music Theory from Northwestern University and her A.M. in Library Science from the University of Chicago.
Besides her studies and library work, Campana is a performing member of the noted Chicago ensemble, Kapture, and a founding member of New Music Chicago. Her current research interests focus on the life and work of John Cage. Campana also serves on the Board of Directors of the Music Library Association and is past editor of the MLA Index and Bibliography Series.
"This summer has been rather quiet at the library, except for the workshop and symposium guests who have come through," she said. "They tell me that it gets much busier during the year and I am looking forward to working with the students and faculty here. My door is always open." During business hours, that is. The Conservatory library's doors will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. beginning September 2.