Several IAML (UK & Irl) Branch members were fortunate to attend the 2024 Congress of our international organisation – “big IAML” – at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, earlier this month. Taking place in a different country each year, Congress is an exciting opportunity to hear papers from international colleagues and experts in related fields, share…
IAML (UK & IRL) is keen to find out which authorities, groups and institutions hold music performance sets and whether they are currently lending them to users or to other libraries. This will help library staff who manage interlibrary loans to know whom they can contact to request sets. It will also enable Encore21 more accurately to…
As you all know from our previous update, in 2018 custodianship of the National Brass Band Archive was transferred to Brass Bands England (BBE). The Archive is now known as the Brass Bands Archive. Over the years we have managed to get ad-hoc funding to employ a number of archive professionals to list, and catalogue…
After more than a year of work , the public library team in Kent are happy to inform you that Kent’s Encore listings are now fully up to date – both vocal and orchestral. Their systems are under maintenance, but they are able to take bookings for their sets from next week (June 2024). There…
…And all too soon the IAML (UK & Irl) ASW 2024 is over… and what a weekend it was! We (re)discovered just what a musical city Leeds is through a new book edited by Lashua, Spracklen, Ross and Thompson: “Popular Music in Leeds” published by Intellect Books; speed dated archival resources; discussed music cataloguing and…
And it’s upon us again! It’s the IAML (UK & Irl) Annual Study Weekend, where you’ll get the best chance this year of finding scores of British and Irish music librarians congregating together. If you use ‘X’ (Twitter) then the hashtag is #IAMLASW. And here’s a request. The Chair of Communications isn’t going to be…
Barbican Music Library’s current exhibition – From the Caribbean to Coventry: Plotting the Rise of Two Tone – is a celebration of one of the UK’s most influential musical and cultural movements. The exhibition was conceived by 2 Tone fans David Burke and Mark Baxter; they collaborated with consultants Rhoda Dakar (former lead singer of…
Following the October 2023 ransomware attack on the British Library’s systems, the Library has issued a cyber incident review document. It outlines what is known about the origins of the attack. It describes obstacles to restoration of services, and summarises lessons learned that have relevance for other cultural institutions.
Bookings have now closed for the IAML ASW taking place in Leeds on Friday 5th April until Sunday 7th April 2024. You can find details about the draft programme on the IAML UK & Ireland website. The IAML Events & Training Committee look forward to welcoming you to Leeds!
One of our colleagues has recently blogged to remind patrons that librarians in other institutions are ready and willing to help where they can. Read ‘The Library’s doing Nothing? Don’t You Believe it!’ Do you have other suggestions you could share?
Are you one of the lucky individuals contemplating attending next year’s Congress? Can we remind you that the application period is open for Outreach travel awards for the IAML Congress in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The deadline for applications is Friday 23 February 2024. IAML Outreach Fund Funding was set up in 1998 to assist music librarians…
Have you ever found something tucked into a library book that is really just bizarre? Here’s a Friday find from a library which shall remain nameless …
We are very sad to pass on the news that Eric Cooper died last night, at the age of 97. Some of you will remember him as he was a tremendous influence from the early days of IAML, both in the UK andinternationally, particularly in the fields of public libraries and sound recordings. You may…
Well, it happened! Suddenly, after all the planning and the meetings and the tweetings and everything else, Congress is over. Transport problems due to industrial action? All behind us now. It certainly felt like a resounding success – if you would like to share your reflections on the whole week, or part of it, please…
Over on Facebook, there are questions! (Congress delegates might like to follow the IAML23 Cambridge FB page.) QUESTION:- Is there a recommendation for public transport in Cambridge? Are there special tickets? ANSWER:- Look out for the Universal bus too which runs between the station, West Road (where the Congress site, Gonville and Caius accomodation and…
We had an enthusiastic email from our Silver Sponsors Henle Verlag today – and we’re happy to share it! At the Faculty of Music in Cambridge July 30th – August 4th 2023 Dear librarians, There are only 2 weeks to go, and we will have the chance to meet in Cambridge. We are very much…
Right now, in four weeks’ time, you could be looking forward to sessions on ‘Daily work, collections and good practices in music performance archives’; or ‘Work catalogues and complete editions’; or ‘Research topics in music copyright’. Or maybe a RISM workshop? It’s not too late, if you haven’t booked yet. Go to IAML2023.org to get…
If you’re attending Congress, then this is something you need to know! Booking for Congress Farewell dinner at King’s College, & the Full package (which includes Farewell dinner) will close this weekend (1st July). So, if you haven’t already booked for dinner at King’s, please do so before then. Apart from that deadline, full basic…
If you’re attending the IAML Congress in Cambridge (31 July – 4 August), we should warn you there are strikes threatened. Many of you are seasoned travellers, and will be keeping up with the news already. You’ll appreciate that situations can change – keep an eye on the news for unexpected updates! Read on, right…
Barbican Music Library was delighted to host the unveiling of a bronze bust of Sir Simon Rattle on 15th June, the evening of the conductor’s final concert as the London Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director. The event featured a number of speeches, and music was provided by the Fibonacci Quartet. The bust was live-sculpted by Frances…
Alan Jones, the Performing Arts Librarian responsible for Drama at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, flags up this online SIBMAS event, Mon 12 June: Standing Room Only: Curating A Wealth of #TheatreHistory with Limited Resources. It may well be of interest to performance librarians! Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/standing-room-only-curating-theatre-history-with-limited-resources-tickets-607660527997 Featuring Curators/ Librarians:-
Our final webinar in the IAML (UK & Irl) Webinar Series was entitled ‘The librarian as detective: bringing our archives and special collections to life – or, Nicholson lost and found’ and took place on 1st June. This event has now happened. But you can get lots of CPD by attending IAML 2023 in Cambridge…
Just to remind you that Early Bird booking for IAML 2023 will close at the end of May. To book at a reduced rate, and to book early for your trip of choice and concert, please book sooner rather than later. We’re looking forward to seeing as many delegates as possible, and are thrilled to…
The Oldman Prize is awarded by IAML (UK & Irl) to an author or joint authors of a work deemed to have made a significant contribution in the area of music bibliography or musicology in the year prior to its being awarded. Gerald Finzi’s Letters, 1915-1956, edited by Diana McVeagh. (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2021). …