IAML(UK & Irl) celebrates Excellence

IAML (UK & Irl) celebrated both institutional and individual Excellence in its recent Excellence Awards ceremony held at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge on Saturday April 12^th 2014.

 The Excellence Awards are presented every two years and acknowledge activity in music libraries which demonstrates sustained good work and good practice with the potential to be adopted and adapted by others. The Awards also recognise outstanding personal achievement by individuals. Music collections from any sector in the UK and Ireland can be nominated for the Award, no matter what their sector, size or type.

The nominations for this year’s Awards were judged by a panel of experts from both the music and library worlds, chaired by Professor Jan Smaczny of Queen’s University, Belfast.

Music libraries play a key role in supporting the study, performance and enjoyment of music and underpin the vibrant diverse musical life and heritage in the UK and Ireland and, as Prof Smaczny has said,” the very musical infrastructure of the United Kingdom and Ireland depends fundamentally on the work of music librarians. [Music libraries] look after communities, those who study music and perform, those who pass on their expertise through instrumental and vocal tuition; and those who simply enquire and enjoy.”

This year saw the following 14 institutional libraries and 4 individuals receive the Excellence Awards:

Barbican Music Library

British Library: Music Collections

Britten-Pears Foundation

Cambridge University Library Music Department & Pendlebury Library

Cardiff University

Henry Watson Music Library

Irish Traditional Music Archive

Kent Performing Arts Library

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Royal Northern College of Music

Trinity Laban Conservatoire

Somerset Performing Arts Library

Surrey Performing Arts Library

Westminster Music Library

Dr Karen McAulay

Rosalind Edwards

Dr Catherine Ferris

Ruth Walters

Citations for award winners can be seen 2014 here.