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Australia, report 1994

In the period since the last National Report from Australia in August 1993 there have been a number of issues to occupy the branch. The Executive has been asked by members to look into the quality of music cataloguing on ABN (the Australian Bibliographical Network). This network is the national database which contains holdings from libraries Australia-wide. Members have been asked to submit examples of problems with ABN music records. A representative from the National Library of Australia has agreed to present. a paper on this topic at the Association's next conference in September 1994. Standards are of concern, and it is felt that IAML may have the opportunity to have a say on this subject at the national level. It is hoped that some fruitful discussions and action plans will be forthcoming from this session.

IAML (Australian Branch) has followed with interest a Music Retrospective Conversion Project initiated by a Consortium of University Libraries in Australia. The Consortium attracted a government grant in 1993 of A$l00,OOO which was apportioned to five libraries: Sydney University, Monash University, University of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University, and the National Library of Australia to allow the loading of retrospective catalogue records from their collections to ABN.

An approach received from the General Secretary in July 1993 suggested that the Australian Branch consider hosting an International Conference in the late 1990s or early 2000s. This has been a subject of discussion amongst the membership since then. It will be a major issue far consideration at the Biennial Meeting in September.

Prue Neidorf has recently been nominated as a joint representative of IAML (Australian Branch) and ASRA (Australasian Sound Recordings Association) on the newly formed Music Council of Australia. The Council has a number of objectives, some of which are to raise the public's awareness of the contribution of music to the individual's well-being, to foster the development of Australian music, improve communication within the music community, and to maximize resources.

IAML (Australian Branch) continues to play a part in contributing to resolutions from the forum "Towards Federation 2001" for which a Review Meeting was held in December 1993. The main concern is in determining "the scope and nature of, and priorities within the distributed national collection of Australia's documentary heritage and the concept of significance as applied to documentary heritage materials" for music resources.

The Executive also continues to pursue the issues of incorporation for the branch, collection of branch archives, redesign of the logo, and production of a local brochure promoting membership of the branch.

Publications

In March 1994 publication of Continuo, the journal of IAML (Australian Branch) was suspended for a time due to the resignation of Mary O'Mara and Laurel Garlick from their positions as editors. The branch wishes to acknowledge the considerable efforts of Mary and Laurel in their roles as editors. This ends an extensive period of dedicated and consistent editorship for the Association's journal. Discussions will take place at the forthcoming Biennial General Meeting in September 1994 regarding future directions for the journal. In the meantime Intermezzo, the newsletter of IAML (Australian Branch), has proved itself popular and has increased informal communications between members.

Data collection for the New South Wales section of the Union Catalogue of Orchestral Scores and Performing Sets has now been completed. An application for funding from the Australia Council for data collection in Tasmania was unsuccessful last year. Another application has been submitted recently for the 1994 round of grants.

1994 Biennial Conference & General Meeting

The Branch's Biennial Conference will be held at The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia on 29 and 30 September 1994. Gordon Abbott is the local organizer, and some of the topics to be covered in the conference sessions include copyright, reader education in tertiary libraries, electronic information, fee-based services, and cataloguing standards for music on the Australian Bibliographic Network (ABN).

State Divisions

The New South Wales Division chaired by Paul Bentley continues to be active at a State level, holding regular meetings to bring together members for discussion of IAML issues at the local level. Paul has also overseen the completion of data collection in the State for the Union Catalogue of Orchestral Scores and Performing Sets.

The Victorian Division has been reformed in 1994, with Georgina Binns from Monash University Library as chair of the group. They too, have commenced regular meetings which attracts a wide range of individuals interested in IAML matters.

Membership

Membership statistics for the Branch at end of June 1994 are: Institutional 30 (1993 27); Personal 28 (1993 26).

Kaye Hill
President: IAML (Australian Branch)