IAML
Working Group on the AMC Format
Report of Activities and Findings
to the IAML Board and Council
August 1993
Objective of the Working Group
Study the question of how the Subject Commission on Archives can best promote the awareness and use of archives related to music. The Working Group has tried to considered all possible options related to this task. Despite the misleading name of the Working Group, it has not limited its investigations to the AMC format. This report represents the final product of the Working Group's efforts and terminates its activities.
Background and Activities of the Working Group
Informal discussions among the officers of the previous Project Group and present Subject Commission on Archives at the Tokyo (1988), Oxford (1989), and Paris (1990) meetings resulted in an interest to evaluate how IAML could more actively promote the awareness and use of music related materials in archives and what efforts might be undertaken to coordinate the description of these materials at the international level. At the Paris conference a formal proposal was presented to the IAML Council to establish the Working Group with a charge to submit a report of its findings at the 1993 meetings of the Board and Council. This proposal was approved by a majority of the Council.
The Working Group has pursued its stated objective by means of several processes. A review of findings from a questionnaire circulated and compiled by the previous Project Group on Archives was used as a basis for understanding and documenting the diversity of national practices. Presentations at several of the general sessions of the Subject Commission on Archives were devoted to the evaluation of software products available for the creation of MARC AMC records in the microcomputer environment. The session of the Working Group at the Prague (1991) meeting was organized as an open forum in which a large body of participants discussed a variety of options. Officers of the Subject Commission on Archives also accepted assignments to investigate and report on activities of other related professional organizations. A final open meeting of the Working Group was held at the Frankfurt (1992) meeting in which a draft of this report was discussed and revised. At the Frankfurt meeting some further assignments were given to participants to gather additional information to enhance the final report.
Findings of the Working Group
The Working Group has given consideration to a wide variety of possible efforts that could be pursued to promote and coordinate the activities of music related archives. These options range in complexity from the creation of a centralized database of AMC records related specifically to music gathered from all national branches and standardized according to guidelines established by IAML to a more modest effort of continuing the practice of featuring national archives at annual meetings with subsequent reports in Fontes. Each of these different options are listed below with a description of the ideal realization of each project and the pros and cons involved in their practical implementation.
I. Develop a centralized database of music specific AMC records
An ideal realization of this concept is perhaps the utopian solution to the task of informing a large audience of students and scholars of the research potential dormant in the vast holdings of primary documents in archives and libraries that relate to music. It would also be the most complicated, costly and difficult of all the solutions considered by the Working Group. Ideally the database would be accessible online or perhaps distributed in a CD-ROM format. It would hopefully become a frequently consulted reference tool common to university and conservatory libraries. Cataloging conventions would be standardized and uniformly adopted by all IAML branches.
For the present, however, such a database may be impractical for numerous reasons. The main obstacles are summarized below.
1) While the AMC format is widely accepted in the U.S.A. it is not an established standard in most other countries. The International Council on Archives is still only beginning to evaluate its potential and has not yet actively promoted its use.
2) No international standards for cataloging in the AMC format exist.
3) Although the format is widely used in the U.S.A., institutions that have already adopted it are usually associated with a large national database system such as RLIN and would have little interest in singling out music related records for inclusion in a separate database.
4) Microcomputer software capable of managing AMC records is still either primitive or too expensive for small institutions with limited funds.
5) Management of a large mainframe database and the distribution of the data in some usable format such as CD-ROM would require considerable financial resources and a well developed administrative staff.
6) Internet linking between libraries and archives is becoming increasingly popular and may eventually replace or supplement the approach of centralized databases.
Suggestions:
For the present, concentrate the efforts of IAML on monitoring the activities of the International Council on Archives, Society of American Archivists and other organizations that would be expected to take the lead in the international endorsement of the AMC format. Continue to evaluate and report on microcomputer software that is capable of managing AMC records. Continue to report on special projects using the AMC format that are undertaken at various music archives around the world. Monitor and report on the development of international standards of cataloging in the AMC format. These tasks and reports could be incorporated into the regular activities and sessions of the Subject Commission on Archives.
If the AMC format becomes more widely accepted and some of the other obstacles associated with the concept of a centralized database become less forbidding, then appoint another working group to reconsider this specific concept in greater detail.
II. Publish an exclusive journal or series
In an ideal situation the enthusiasm and interest for archival research in music and the circumstances of the curators responsible for these materials would result in a wealth of research and writing sufficient to publish a new journal or perhaps a series of finding aids. Such publications would hopefully be purchased by all music libraries and incorporated into the curriculum of music educational institutions. In some respects its full realization could actually be more effective than an AMC database for conveying to the researcher detailed information about specific archives. All of this line of thinking, however, is much more idealistic than the actual present situation. Existing publications such as Fontes and the MLA Bibliography and Index Series often lack sufficient submissions. Most archivists also lack adequate time to produce articles and finding aids for publication.
Suggestions:
Continue to encourage the publication of articles and special finding aids, but direct these publications to existing journals or series such as Fontes.
III. Publish a periodic bibliography or index to finding aids
The Roundtable on Archives of the Music Library Association is currently evaluating the possibility of developing such an index. It has the potential of providing very practical information on the location and availability of archival resources. Such an index could be updated on a regular basis. Ideally it would include a description of the organization and details of each finding aid. It could also include directory information about the archives whose finding aids are listed and indications if finding aids may be purchased or loaned. An index of existing finding aids would be a much less complicated project than a database of AMC records. Its major limitation would be a lack of information for unprocessed archives.
Suggestions:
Continue to follow the development of the MLA project. Report on its progress or other similar projects in different national branches at sessions of the subject commission. If it has problems getting organized, perhaps IAML could take a more active role in establishing the concept at the international level. Investigate the possibility of including archive descriptions in progress. The index might also include references to articles, dissertations and other publications that describe a specific archive
IV. Maintain a ListServ for finding aids
This concept is similar to the guide described above. It could consist of an index to finding aids and potentially include the actual texts of the same finding aids. The MLA Clearing House is model of the potential for a ListServ. A pilot project for this concept was tried. It was aborted at an early stage because of difficulties involved in converting texts formatted in columns as is usually the case with finding aids to a standard ASCII format. Despite the failure of this first effort, a ListServ might still be possible if the texts for the finding aids are stored in their original machine readable format. For example a finding aid that was created in WordPerfect could be stored in its original WordPerfect format and made accessible online. Users of the ListServ would have to cope with the problem of receiving files in whatever format they are made available. Initially the creation of such a ListServ would focus on finding aids that have already been created in a computer format. Later, thought could be given to the task of scanning typescript finding aids.
Suggestions:
If the IAML Board and Council feel that this concept is worthy of further investigation and sufficient volunteer participants can be identified, organize a new Working Group with a charge to investigate its specific possibilities. Another pilot project could be undertaken utilizing files stored in their original format. Other existing and successful ListServs such as MLA-L and TML could be examined for ideas and comparison.
V. Collaborate with the revision of RISM Series C
This concept is more of a suggestion than an independent project. As different volumes of RISM Series C are updated, every effort should be made to include references to archives that contain music related materials. Special efforts should be made to include references to non music specific archives that never-the-less contain significant music holdings. Perhaps the Publications Committee could consider the appointment of a special advisor on archives to work with those involved in the update of RISM C.
VI. Feature national archives of host countries at annual IAML meetings
The practice of featuring reports on the national archives of the host country at annual IAML meetings is likely to continue. Past experience has shown that host countries are usually eager to promote their musical heritage and that the sessions of the Commission on Archives are appropriate for such reports. The best of these reports will continue to be submitted to Fontes for publication.