The Library at CQU Mackay celebrated its latest acquisition with a wine and cheese night earlier this week.

The reason for the celebration is that Mackay Orchestras Incorporated (MOI) has transferred its orchestral music collection of scores to the CQU Library to be properly housed in an air-conditioned environment and managed appropriately by the library.

The collection, which has an estimated value of $40,000, was previously stored in an old school hall which has since been demolished.

MOI librarian Sarah Howes has been coordinating the project for the past 12 months, with the assistance of CQU Librarians Shelley Dent and Paula Stapleton, and is glad to see the collection properly stored.

“We have been very busy cataloguing and integrating the collection into the CQU collection,” said Sarah, “and we now have the satisfaction of knowing the collection is accessible to others and not stored in damp and nasty conditions".

According to Ms Pauline McNee, CQU Music Liaison Librarian, “this is a really important acquisition for the CQU Mackay campus library and enables our library to be of great support to members of the local music community, who may become community music borrowers at a cost of $11 per month".

“The collection of musical scores is now available to schools and we would like to encourage the Heads of Music at all local schools to visit the CQU Library and view the collection,” said Pauline.

Photo (above): Joining the celebration earlier this week were (from left to right) MOI Vice President Linda Price, MOI President Sheryl De-Bruyn, Secretary Cath Cuddihy, CQU Library Assistant Julia Whitby, MOI Assistant Treasurer Kath Gaynor and MOI Librarian Sarah Howes.

Photo caption (left): Sarah Howes (glass in hand) and Kath Gaynor look through the collection, which is now safely housed in the CQU Mackay library.