A Chat w/Orange's Music Expert, Jonathan Wiener

The Case Memorial Library's music blog goes back to 2006 with featured albums and articles about the CDs that the library acquires. How did you first get the idea to start up the blog? 

I got the idea from a librarians’ roundtable about blogging that our library director sent me to attend, way back then.

The selection of music available at the library feels expertly curated, as well as being quite accessible. For every Ke$ha or Destiny's Child release, there is a classic album or a Dinosaur Jr. record. How do you strike a balance in accommodating so many different musical tastes?

I’m glad you like our collection!  First of all, we are lucky to have a budget that lets us acquire a broad range of materials. Then, I just try to read about a lot of different kinds of music, listen to different things, and keep an open mind about what people might like to hear. I’m also glad to consider suggestions from our patrons.

What are some of the publications and websites that you look through when trying to discover new music?

Some of the best are the Huffington Post, the New York Times, the Guardian online, and the New Yorker. For a local perspective I particularly like the New Haven Advocate and the Sound Check blog from the Hartford Courant.

Who are some of your personal favorite musical acts?

I’m actually a classical music fan above all, I love listening to just about anything from that repertoire. Having said that, my wife and I are looking forward to hearing Leonard Cohen in Wallingford next week.