IAML International Association of Music Libraries

 

Amended by the General Assembly at Helsingør on 22 June 1995 (see Fontes 43/2 (1996), p162-3); at Oslo on 12 August 2004 (see Fontes 49/1-2 (2002), p16-17).

 

Article I - Name and Headquarters

The name of this Association shall be the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (IAML), hereinafter referred to as the Association.

The headquarters shall be established at the office of the Secretary General.

 

Article II - Purposes

The Association is an international organization of institutions and individuals.

As an independent, non-governmental, non-profit-making organization, it shall have the following purposes:

1. To encourage and promote the activities of libraries, archives and documentation centres concerned with music and music materials, to strengthen cooperation among institutions and individuals working in these fields and to publish information concerning their work.
2. To promote a better understanding of the cultural importance of music libraries, archives and documentation centres both nationally and internationally.
3. To support and facilitate the realization of projects in music bibliography, music documentation and music library science at national and international levels.
4. To promote the availability of all publications and documents relating to music, including particularly to encourage international exchange and lending.
5. To encourage and support the development of standards in all areas that concern the Association.
6. To promote the availability of suitable professional education and training.
7. To further the bibliographical control of music materials of all kinds.
8. To support the protection and preservation of musical documents of all periods.
9. To cooperate with other organizations in the fields of librarianship, bibliography, archival science, documentation, music and musicology.
10. To arrange international meetings of its members.
11. To publish an official journal dealing with all matters of professional interest.

 

Article III - Members

The Association consists of three categories of members: institutional members, individual members and honorary members.

1. The following may be institutional members: music libraries, music archives, music documentation centres, sound recording libraries and sound archives, publishing firms and dealers, as well as other institutions and organizations wishing to further the goals of the Association.
2. The following may be individual members: all persons wishing to further the goals of the Association.
3. The following may be elected honorary members of the Association by the General Assembly: all persons who have rendered notable service to the Association.
4. Any individual member or representative of an institutional member may hold office in the Association.

 

Article IV - Dues

The membership dues shall be determined by the General Assembly.

 

Article V - Administration

The Association shall be governed by: the General Assembly, the Council and the Board.

The General Assembly

1. The General Assembly shall comprise all the members. It shall meet at least once every three years, preferably each time in a different country. It shall have the right to make fundamental decisions as laid down in this Constitution. At its meetings it shall receive reports from the Council and the Board, and shall discuss the plans, the current work and the problems of the Association. It shall vote on the budget for the next three financial years. The General Assembly may make recommendations concerning all aspects of the Association's work to the appropriate bodies.

When voting at the meeting of the General Assembly, each member shall have one vote. Resolutions shall be adopted by a simple majority of the votes, except when a two-thirds majority according to articles IX and XIII is required. Proxy votes shall be permitted from members unable to attend.

The Council

2. The Council shall be the representative body of the Association. It shall be composed as follows:

1. Any branch (national or multi-national) or country having at least ten members enrolled in the Association shall have a delegate on the Council. Countries with fewer than ten members can, with the Council's agreement, be represented on the Council by a national delegate. Delegates shall have the right to vote.
2. The President, the Vice-Presidents and the two immediate Past-Presidents of the Association, as well as the Chairs of the Professional Branches and the Subject Commissions shall be voting members of the Council.
3. The Secretary General, the Treasurer, the Chairs of the Joint Commissions and the Committees, as well as the Editor of the Association's journal, shall be members of the Council without the right to vote.

The Council shall direct the Association and make decisions concerning its work. It must take into account the General Assembly's recommendations. The Council has the right to call an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly.

The Council shall receive reports from the Board, and shall vote on the Treasurer's report and budget for the next financial year.

One third of the voting members of the Council shall constitute a quorum. Resolutions of the Council shall be adopted by a simple majority of the votes. When there is a tie, the President or the President's deputy shall have the deciding vote.

The Council shall meet whenever the interests of the Association require it and at least once a year. The President may convene extraordinary meetings at any time and must do so at the request of ten or more members of the Council.

The Board

3. The Board shall be the executive committee of the Council. The Board shall consist of the President, the immediate Past-President, the four Vice-Presidents, the Secretary General and the Treasurer.

The Board shall meet whenever the interests of the Association require it and at least once a year. Five members shall constitute a quorum.

The President and the Vice-Presidents shall be elected by the members of the Association by mail ballot. The Council shall nominate candidates for the election, not more than two candidates for each seat being nominated by the Council.

The terms of office of the President and the Vice-Presidents shall be three years. The President may only be reelected immediately in exceptional circumstances. Vice-Presidents may not be reelected immediately more than once.

If the President resigns or dies in office, the Council shall appoint one of the Vice-Presidents Acting President for the remainder of the term. If a Vice-President resigns or dies in office, the Council shall appoint an Acting Vice-President from the members of the Association for the remainder of the term.

The Secretary General and the Treasurer shall be appointed by the Council from the members of the Association for a specific term.

4. The President shall be the principal officer of the Association and shall represent it in legal matters and in contacts with other organizations.

5. The Secretary General shall be responsible for the administrative and organizational work of the Association. The Treasurer shall administer the Association's funds. They shall both report to the Council and the General Assembly. They shall consult with the President on all matters of policy.

 

Article VI - National and Multi-national Branches

The members residing in a country may form a National Branch of the Association. Members from more than one country may form a Multi-national Branch.

The principal purpose of the National and Multi-national Branches shall be to accomplish at branch level such tasks as the Association undertakes internationally and to collaborate in all the activities that the Association deems necessary, as well as to serve national needs in areas that concern the Association.

National and Multi-national Branches shall submit their constitutions to the Association. They shall not conflict with that of the Association.

It shall be the duty of the National and Multi-national Branches to designate the representative of their branches to the Council. Individual countries within Multi-national branches shall not be entitled to separate representation on the Council. The National and Multi-national Branches shall be required to submit an annual summary report of their activities to the Association.

 

Article VII - Professional Branches, Subject Commissions, Working Groups, Committees and Joint Commissions

To advance the work of the Association, the Council shall establish permanent or temporary groups as defined below. The Council shall periodically review the work of these groups and shall have the power to discontinue them when appropriate.

1. The Professional Branches unite members working in the same professional field or type of institution in order to allow them to exchange information and to discuss common concerns and developments. Normally they shall meet during the annual conferences as open forums.
   Each Professional Branch shall elect its Chair and other officers.
2. The Subject Commissions are concerned with specified areas of activity, such as bibliography, cataloguing, service and training. Normally, they shall meet during the annual conferences as open forums. They may additionally organize working sessions if necessary. They may propose the formation of Working Groups with a view to accomplishing specific assignments.
   Each Subject Commission shall elect its Chair and other officers.
3. Working Groups may be formed to carry out specific assignments. They are responsible for the preparation of reports, resolutions and publications of the Association, based on proposals of the Subject Commissions, the Professional Branches, the Council or the Board. Working Groups shall be discontinued when the assignment is completed or when they have been inactive for more than two years.
   Chairs of Working Groups shall be appointed by the Council.
4. Committees may be established by the Council to advise the Association on administrative and legal matters. In principle, they shall deal with questions of interest to the whole Association.
   Chairs of Committees shall be appointed by the Council.
5. Joint Commissions may be formed between IAML and other organizations. IAML members on such commissions shall represent the interests of the whole Association and shall be appointed by the Council.

 

Article VIII - Finances

Subject to the requirements of this Constitution (Articles IV, V,1 and V,2), the Rules of Procedure and the decisions of the Council and the Board, all income--dues, grants, gifts and legacies, or any other revenue--and expenditure of the Association shall be managed by the Treasurer.

 

Article IX - Changes

The Constitution may be changed only by an ordinary meeting of the General Assembly. Proposals for changes must be supported by at least five members. Such proposals must reach the Secretary General not later than six months before the meeting of the General Assembly. The Secretary General must notify the membership of the proposed changes at least three months before the meeting.

All proposed changes must be submitted for approval to the Council. Changes not approved by the Council can be adopted only by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast at the meeting of the General Assembly.

 

Article X - Relations to other organizations

To further common interests the Association may enroll as a member of, or seek affiliation or enter into formal collaboration with international organizations pursuing similar objectives in the fields of librarianship, bibliography, archival science, documentation, music and musicology.

 

Article XI - Rules of Procedure

The implementation of this Constitution and the management of the Association shall be determined by the Council in Rules of Procedure.

 

Article XII - Publications

The official journal and any other periodical issued by the Association shall be sent to each member regularly and free of charge. The Editors of these publications shall be appointed by the Council for a specific term.

Other publications issued by the Association shall require the approval of the Council.

 

Article XIII - Dissolution

The Association may be dissolved only by a meeting of the General Assembly expressly convened for this purpose and with a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.

In the event of the dissolution of the Association its property shall pass, in accordance with the aims stated in Article II, to a recognized cultural institution in the field of music bibliography, music librarianship, or the like.

 

Article XIV - Languages and interpretation

The official languages of the Association shall be English, French and German.

This Constitution and the Rules of Procedure shall be published in these languages. In case of dispute, the English text shall be authoritative.