The Royal College of Music Library supports teaching and performance at the RCM. The library contains more than 400,000 scores, books and recordings in its lending collection, plus access to more than 400 music journals.
In addition to the lending collection, the RCM Library holds internationally significant materials such as the manuscripts of Mozart’s C minor Piano Concerto K491, Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Chopin’s Minute Waltz. Our collections include more than 20,000 manuscripts, 40,000 early printed editions, 140 personal archives and 700,000 concert and opera programmes. Postcards and facsimiles of some of the most significant items are available to buy from the RCM shop.
The RCM Library also manages the College archive which includes information about former staff, students and the history of the College.