The camera pans to show struggling writer Paul Varjak typing a story titled “My Friend.” “There was once a very lovely, very frightened girl. She lived alone except for a nameless cat,” it began. Suddenly the light strum of a guitar and a breathy voice waft from the fire escape outside his apartment.

“Moon River, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style someday,” sings neighbor Holly Golightly.

We all know this as a scene from the classic movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” starring Audrey Hepburn. What you might not know is that the tune was written for Hepburn to fit her vocal range. During a preview of the film, a Paramount Pictures executive suggested the song be cut. Hepburn wasn’t thrilled with that idea, so the song stayed. Composed by Henry Mancini, the song was an instant classic. “Moon River” has been recorded more than 500 times and its sheet music has sold more than a million copies.

The Library’s Music Division has acquired archival materials from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of the world’s largest performing-rights organization, representing more than 275,000 creators, Mancini included. These materials join many other special collections given to the Library by individual ASCAP members, including Victor Herbert, Leonard Bernstein, Irving Caesar, George and Ira Gershwin, Vernon Duke and Aaron Copland.

Items in the collection include music manuscripts, correspondence, business documents and even the original ASCAP cash book showing dues paid from 1914-1919.

The Library of Congress Information Bulletin ran an article in its June 2009 issue highlighting the new acquisition. To celebrate, the Library also hosted a special concert featuring many of the singers and songwriters who are members of the foundation.