The St. Louis County Library (SLCL) is extending its reach even more than usual—and that of local musicians! In an effort to celebrate and promote the musical creativity of St. Louisans, it has launched Listen Up STL, a local music collection available online to its approximately 355,000 cardholders.
The pilot project started last October when local artists were asked to submit original recordings for inclusion. All albums that met the guidelines were accepted and are now featured in a collection that includes a variety of genres, like jazz, rock, blues, gospel and country. SLCL plans to solicit new music twice a year from local musicians currently performing and/or based in the area with original recordings. The next submission period is slated for spring. Cardholders can stream the Listen Up STL collection through the library’s website at slcl.org/listen-up-stl.