Anton Brees Carillon Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anton Brees Carillon Library |
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|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Established | 1968 |
| Location | Lake Wales, Florida |
| Coordinates | 27°56′07″N 81°34′39″W / 27.93533°N 81.57752°W |
The Anton Brees Carillon Library is a special library located inside the Singing Tower at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida. It holds many collections that tell the story of the Singing Tower, its beautiful gardens, the historic Pinewood Estate, and The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. The library also has lots of information about carillon art in general.
Contents
History of the Library
How the Library Started
This unique library was created in 1968. It was named in honor of Anton Brees, who was the very first carillonneur (the person who plays a carillon) at the Singing Tower. He passed away in 1968, and the library was established to remember him and his work.
A carillon is a musical instrument made of at least 23 bells that are tuned to play different notes. It's played from a special keyboard. The Bok Tower itself, with its amazing gardens and the Singing Tower carillon, was built much earlier, in 1929. Edward W. Bok was the person who founded Bok Tower and its gardens. He originally wanted it to be a safe place for birds.
Accessing the Collections
For various reasons, people are not allowed to go inside the Anton Brees Library directly. However, you can still explore its historical materials! Many items are available through an online catalog and digital collections. If you need to see the physical items, you can arrange a special visit by appointment.
In 1971, Professor Stephen Fry, a Music Librarian Consultant, was hired to help organize all the materials in the library.
Grant for Hidden Collections
In 2013, the library received an important grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). This grant helped them catalog (organize and describe) many hidden special collections and archives. The goal was to make these materials much easier for people to find and use.
This grant also included the archives of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA). These archives have been kept at Bok Tower Gardens since 1993. The grant allowed the library to hire a special projects assistant. This person helped organize and protect old materials, moving them into special acid-free folders and boxes. The grant work continued until 2016.
What the Library Holds
Location and Size
The Anton Brees Carillon Library is located on the fifth floor of the Singing Tower. It is known as one of the largest collections of materials related to carillons anywhere in the world.
Unique Collections
Even though it's a relatively small library with about 1,500 books, what makes it special is the wide variety of items it holds. Besides books, the library has 900 volumes of special magazines about carillon art and related topics. Most importantly, it has over 3,000 musical scores (sheet music) written just for the carillon.
The library also keeps 3,000 audio and video recordings, music for keyboard instruments, and many documents about carillon concerts and the lives of carillonneurs. You can also find information about carillons in North America and other countries, famous carillon players, and companies that make carillon bells.
Library Collections
The Anton Brees Carillon Library has five main collections. These include the ABCL vertical files, The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America archives, the Ronald Barnes collection, the Anton Brees collection, the Sidney Giles collection, and the Arthur Bigelow collection.
There is also a growing digital archive. This online collection provides access to scanned papers, photos, and other items. It also includes guides to help researchers find what they need.
The Singing Tower also has the Chao Research Center archives. This center holds four more collections: The Nellie Lee Bok collection (with writings and letters), the American Foundation collection, the Edward Bok newspaper scrapbook collection, and the Pinewood Estate collections.
