Cecilia music collections database
Cecilia is IAML UK & Irl’s online searchable database of descriptions of music collections in libraries, archives and museums throughout the UK and Ireland. Its creation was funded in 1999 with grants from the British Library Cooperation and Partnership Scheme, the Research Support Libraries Programme and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. At present there are descriptions of over 2000 collections from nearly 800 institutions including libraries, conservatoires, museums, historic houses, cathedral libraries and specialist societies.
The collections cover everything from scores, audio-visual materials, musical instruments, manuscripts and a fascinating array of musical artefacts. The database continues to grow thanks to involvement in collaborative projects, including the AHRC-funded ‘Music, Home, and Heritage‘ (2017-2020) and ‘Music, Heritage, Place: Unlocking the Musical Collections of English County Records Offices‘ (2024-2026). Ongoing overall editorial management is undertaken on a voluntary basis and individual entries are kept up to date by the relevant institution.