Structure and Activities

Photo: Service kiosk at the Polley Music Library, Lincoln, NE (USA) by Carolyn Dow

The work of the Association is accomplished through a network of Institutional Sections, Subject Sections, Committees and special Project Groups.

Institutional Sections 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.
At present there are five such sections:

• Archives and Music Documentation Centres
• Broadcasting and Orchestra Libraries
• Libraries in Music Teaching Institutions
• Public Libraries
• Research Libraries

Subject Sections 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.
There are now Subject Sections for:

• Audio-Visual Materials
• Bibliography
• Cataloguing and Metadata
• Service and Training

Disbanded sub-commissions:

• Sub-commission on UNIMARC (2003-2016)
• Sub-commission on ISBD and Music (2010-2016)

Study Groups may be created under the auspices of a section to address narrowly defined issues of ongoing importance.
IAML currently has the following Study Groups (chairs appointed by the Board):

• Access to Performance Ephemera (formerly Indexing of Music Performances)
• Linked Data Hub for Music Vocabularies
• National Libraries

Project Groups carry out specific assignments, prepare reports, statements or publications.

• Annotated Exemplars of Music Cataloguing with RDA/LRM in UNIMARC

Disbanded Project Groups (called Working Groups until 2016):

• Access to Music Archives (2005 - 2017)
• Core Bibliographic Record for Music and Sound Recordings (1994 - 1998)
• Hofmeister
• ISBD and Music
• Libraries in Music Teaching Institutions and Accreditation
• RISM Series C (2019–2022)

Committees carry out specific assignments to advise the Association on administrative and legal matters, dealing with questions of interest to the whole Association.
IAML currently has the following Committees:

• Advocacy
• Constitution
• Copyright
• Development
• Membership
• Online Events
• Outreach
• Publications

Disbanded Committees:

• Ad Hoc Committee on IAML Archives (2018-2021)
• Ad Hoc Committee on Organizational Structure (Level 2) (2014-2016)
• Conference (2014-2015)
• Information Technology (1999-2013)
• Programme (to 2014)
• Restructuring of IAML, Ad-hoc Committee (2012-2014)
• Strategy (2011-2012)