nvmb

The Music Librarians' Toolbox

Met toestemming van Kirsten Voss, internationaal bestuurslid van IAML, drukken we een door haar opgestelde tekst af in de NVMB-Nieuwsbrief, met betrekking tot haar visie op internationale samenwerking tussen openbare bibliotheken zoals die tijdens de IAML-conferentie in Tallinn aan bod zal komen.

I have an idea, that I would like to share with you. For some time I have been asking myself how IAML might attract more public librarians. As far as I can see, only 10-15% of all IAML members are public libraries or librarians and as music is growing in public libraries we need closer contact to support eachother and share our solutions.

Public Libraries with music have their own specific area working with different materials, different users and different purposes than most of the IAML’s members in university and research libraries. It is very useful for a public librarian to learn what is going on in other kinds of libraries and vice versa. I myself would never have missed my time in IAML, but I attended the conferences because I was the president of the Danish IAML Branch and not because I could convince my library boss that I learned a lot about music in public libraries.

I started in IAML before we had any communications via Internet. I remember even in 95 preparing the conference in Denmark I spent most of my time at the Fax machine and not by the computer. Today the world is changed. We are able to communicate very easily by e-mail and on Websites. It is time for public music librarians to become international.

I was inspired last autumn by a plan in Danish Music Libraries called The Music Librarians’ Toolbox. You will have the chance to get to know it in Tallinn in the Public Library Branch Session on Tuesday.

Lately I found the same idea in the HARMONICA report:
“The available knowledge in different libraries could profitably be shared via the Internet. This can be achieved by forming an extranet, where associated libraries, as members, have access to information on their profession, and also have a platform for research and development.”

So my idea is an international toolbox for public music libraries, open to all IAML members, but depending on the collaberation between public librarians describing their work and how to do it. A toolbox for newstarters in this wast area and for the experienced to learn of even better methods and a place to discuss our problems and suggest solutions. And maybe other IAML members, if they care to look at this website, would be able to add to the knowledge or prevent some mistakes.

The plan is demanding. I know it. I plan to talk for 5 minutes about it at the information session Monday morning in Tallinn, also to tell interested IAMLers to go to the presentantion of the Danish TOOLBOX Tuesday. On Wednesday the Public Libraries Branch has a visit tour to the public library in Tallinn and we are going to talk about the whole plan there. We need some volunteers to be a steering group. Part of the work will also be the research of what was already done in this area. Look into PULMAN, HARMONICA and other sources. No Need to do the same work again. Maybe we should make some links for it. If the whole thing is approved, we need to talk to Massimo about the technical aspects and try to find some young IT experts, preferably among the Publ.Libr. Branch members. We would have to contact all the national branches to find one or more public librarians in each country.

If the leaders of the public libraries are able to see a useful result on the net, they are probably more willing to let their music librarians take part in the work, might even suppport it and try to help find funding for their music librarian coming to a conference to meet all the others in the project.

To give you an idea of how a structure might look I will give you an overlook of the Danish Toolbox here:

Toolbox is structured in different topics such as:

1. Places to ask questions (Electronic lists and archives of questions: As an example the Danish Toolbox wants to look at all the very useful primitive little card indexes with solutions for asked questions from the patrons in different libraries ( from the past before we started the list).
We have recently made a freetext archive of all the questions on the electronic list since 1997. All these very special things should now be registred and looked upon more systematically, put into special forms and enriched if necessary.)
2. Materials, principles to choose, reviews, guidance on what libraries are allowed to do with different types of materials, lending, fax, copy etc.
3. Purchase, practical guide, how to store cd's, plastic bags or cassettes, security systems for libraries, who can we ask etc. and last but not least cataloguing
4. References, netguides, genreguides, styles like: post-grunge, lo-fi,trash etc. Suggestions for a collection on a special topic. Licenses.
5. Library-cooperation, national and international, networks, library journals, education and courses, projects, licitations and libraries buying together (IAML, IAMIC; IASA etc.)
6. Institutions and Laws
7. Arrangements as concerts, exhibitions etc.
8. A room for discussions. Anybody may start it.

I think we might pick up some ideas, but I want to let our IAML steering group decide for the topics in the IAML international toolbox.
I hope you will look at this with an open mind. I am open to suggestions about changes. I also feel that this might be the beginning of a new era for public music libraries being part of an international working group and a growing IAML.

Kirsten Voss,
Vice-President of IAML