The work of the Association is accomplished through a network of Professional Branches, Subject Commissions and special Working Groups:

• Professional Branches bring together members working in the same professional field or type of institution and meet as open forums to discuss common concerns and to exchange views and information.

• Subject Commissions deal with types of library activity and focus on new developments within their sphere of interest in different countries, give sessions on selected aspects of their work and initiate new projects.

• Committees also carry out specific assignments to advise the Association on administrative and legal matters, dealing with questions of interest to the whole Association. Through two Project Groups on the International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD), IAML has collaborated with IFLA on the recent revisions of the ISBDs for Non-Book Materials (NBM) and Printed Music (PM). IAML has also worked with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) on the development of the International Standard Music Number (ISMN).

Working Groups carry out specific assignments, prepare reports, statements or publications. IAML currently has the following Working Groups (chairs appointed by the Council):

• Access to Music Archives
  Chairs: Inger Enquist (email) and Judy Tsou (email)
• Hofmeister XIX
  Chair: Chris Banks (email) (The British Library, London)
  
• Access to Performance Ephemera (formerly Indexing of Music Performances)
  Chair : Rupert Ridgewell (email) (The British Library, London)
  
• Exchange of Authority Data
  Chair: Malcolm Jones (email) (Birmingham, UK)