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Australia, report 1996

June 1995 - June 1996

Once again the Australian Branch of IAML has seen a rise in membership figures for the year. Although a small branch, membership continues to grow consistently. There were a number of issues to interest and involve members in the year. The forthcoming conference will serve to consolidate and focus the branch's activities for the forthcoming period.

Music Reference Group

In December 1995 the Distributed National Collection Office of the National Library of Australia brought together a representative group of music librarians, researchers, academics, and members of special interest groups from around Australia to meet in Canberra for the inaugural meeting of the Music Reference Group. IAML (Australian Branch) President, Kaye Hill, is a member of the Group. Chairperson of the Group is Robyn Holmes, Head of Department of Literature and Music at the Canberra School of Music.

The Group aims to generate and facilitate change nationally and collaboratively in the issues affecting music collections and their users; in particular in matters of collecting, bibliographic control, preservation, access, national coordination, and copyright. The Group will not function as a formal body, but rather as a catalyst and support for change and development in relation to music collections.

Members of the Group have met throughout 1996 via teleconference. An open meeting of the Group will be held as part of the IAML (Australian Branch) Biennial Conference in October 1996. Through this meeting IAML members will be given the opportunity to state their priorities for the Group.

Publications

Two editions of the Branch's journal, Continuo, were produced in the past year under the new General Editorship of Georgina Binns, Music Librarian from Monash University. These issues brought the publishing schedule of the now annual journal up-to-date after a period of suspension in 1994. With the assistance of a graphic designer, the journal has taken on a new and stylish look. Both issues have been substantial in content. The first included the proceedings of the branch's 1994 Biennial Conference. The most recent issue included articles on Australian hymnody, Australian brass band history, and an interesting "snapshot" of music resources in some thirteen Australian music libraries and archives.

The Branch's bi-monthly newletter, Intermezzo, continues to be published to keep members in touch with the latest music library news.

The project funded by the Australia Council to collect data from Tasmanian libraries for the Union Catalogue of Orchestral Scores and Performing Sets was completed in January 1996. This completes data collection for this project in all Australian states. Work is currently under way to produce the next print edition of the Union Catalogue later this year. The format for the presentation of future editions of the Catalogue will be a topic for discussion at the forthcoming Branch conference.

1996 Biennial Conference and General Meeting

The Australian Branch's Biennial Conference will be held at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria from 3 to 5 October 1996. The local organizing committee, led by Georgina Binns, has spent considerable time in organizing what promises to be a most interesting and varied conference program. The conference theme is "More byte than Bach?: the impact of technology in music libraries." It is hoped that the conference may attract some international attendees, as well as a wide range of music library professionals from around Australia.

The most active State Division this year has been the Victorian Division which has met regularly throughout the year with good attendances. Apart from dealing with general IAML business the Division has been well occupied with organizing the forthcoming Biennial Conference. Membership statistics for the branch at the end of June 1996 are: Institutional 29 (1995 30); Personal 37 (1995 31).

Kaye Hill
President