Walter H. Rubsamen Music Library

This study examines metadata quality, catalog coverage, and composer representation in the UCLA Music Library's Contemporary Score Collection, an open access repository of over 5,800 contemporary music scores hosted on eScholarship. Drawing on four datasets including usage data, catalog records, full collection statistics, and confidential demographic data, the analysis investigates how metadata infrastructure supports the collection's stated goals of visibility, open access, and diversity.

Usage has grown dramatically since 2020, reaching nearly 66,000 requests in 2025. But catalog status alone does not determine whether a score gets found , scores with a format note are used nearly twice as often as those without one, and inconsistent subject vocabulary makes browsing harder. Most users arrive through Google rather than UCLA's own systems, suggesting the collection is easier to find from outside UCLA than from within it.

With composers from over 59 countries already participating and consistent publication rates across all regions, the foundation for a truly global collection is already in place. The next step is making it easier for more composers to find, submit, and be discovered.