Vanderbilt University/NMAAM Collections Initiative: Home

Introductory Video:

This short video provides an overview of the Vanderbilt/NMAAM Collections Initiative, information about the application process, and how the libraries will support this exciting new partnership.

About the Vanderbilt / National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) Collections Initiative:

Vanderbilt University has partnered with the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) to create a Collections Initiative that will support the purchase of materials for research and exhibit. Funding for the Collections Initiative comes from the Academic Archives Purchasing Fund, an internal faculty funding program within the Office of the Provost, and it is open to ALL full-time Vanderbilt faculty. Funds from the Collections Initiative are intended for collection-building acquisitions that enhance the depth or breadth of Vanderbilt’s holdings to support ongoing and potential scholarship on African American music. Additionally, these materials have exhibit potential and will support research by NMAAM staff and researchers.

Funding for the Collections Initiative is governed by an application process. Each application l must include a faculty member, a NMAAM curator, and a librarian. Applications are submitted via InfoReady Review, Vanderbilt’s online submissions portal. Applications are reviewed by a subcommittee of the University Library Committee. Recommendations are passed to the Dean of the Blair School of Music and the Office of the Provost, who make the final funding decisions.

The Vanderbilt Libraries are ready to support faculty throughout the application process. We can:

  • Identify a NMAAM curator.
  • Co-author applications.
  • Identify additional costs related to acquisitions.

You also don’t have to co-author an application to be involved in this initiative. We are always looking for faculty what are willing to write letters of support for individual applications. Library staff are actively looking for materials related to African American music, and you can provide us with invaluable information.

  • Does your research intersect with African American music?
  • Do you have any connections to African American composers, musicians, or other researchers?
  • Do you include African American music in specific courses?
  • Do you have ideas for immersion projects related to this initiative?