The Secretary General visits the Norwegian IAML Branch

Secretary General Pia Shekhter reports from her recent visit to the General Assembly of Norsk musikkbiblioteksforening, the Norwegian IAML Branch, held at Deichmanske bibliotek in Oslo.

Members of the Norwegian IAML Branch: From left to right: Olav Nilsen, Inger Johanne Christiansen, Berit Holth and Frida Røsand

Ann-Cathrine Johansen, music librarian

Surprise!

Deichmanske bibliotek

Model of new library building, Oslo

Makerspace

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure to attend the General Assembly of Norsk musikkbiblioteksforening - the Norwegian IAML Branch. The meeting took place in the afternoon so I managed to take the train from Gothenburg to Oslo in the morning and arrive back home in the late evening. A train ride between the two cities takes four hours.

The venue was Deichmanske bibliotek, the Oslo public library, which is the largest public library in Norway. It opened in 1785 after a bequest of 6000 books and an endowment from Carl Deichman, a Danish-Norwegian businessman, writer and book collector. The library consists of sixteen branches throughout Oslo (the central library is situated right by the Parliament) and employs over 300 people. There are grand plans for the future: in 2019 the library will move to a new building, side by side with the famous Opera House by the Oslo Fjord.

The Deichmanske bibliotek has a very popular music department with Ann Kunish as the head librarian. She was not present during my visit so another music librarian, Anne-Cathrine Johansen, gave me a guided tour. The large music department is divided into sections according to genre, where you will find CDs, DVDs and books about for example opera collected in the same place. The floor also consists of videogames, books on fantasy and science fiction and films. Adjacent to the music section you find “Folkeverkstedet” – a so-called makerspace. Ms Johansen informed me that the space soon will be equipped with sewing machines as a complement to all the technical appliances:-). And yes, the Deichmanske bibliotek is yet another public library lending out ukuleles;-).

Before the General Assembly took place I was invited to a meeting with the Board. We discussed matters concerning “big IAML” such as budget issues, Fontes and the international congresses. The Norwegian and Danish Branches instigated the process of restructuring IAML when they proposed a list of ten concrete items for changing the organization as far back as the conference in Sydney in 2007. Among the items were electronic voting and an electronic version of Fontes, which are now a reality. The Board members expressed a wish to make the Public Libraries more visible in IAML. I did my best to encourage submitting paper and/or poster proposals and articles directed to public libraries for the annual congresses and the membership journal. Another topic for discussion was how to make the members who do not have a chance to attend IAML’s congresses feel that they belong to an international community. I found our discussions very valuable and inspiring and have conveyed the content to the IAML Board.

After the Board meeting other members turned up and we shared a great buffet supper before I made a presentation of IAML. To my great satisfaction I received several questions and suggestions from the audience and I think the whole thing developed into a fruitful dialogue. It was a happy Secretary General that rushed to the Central station to catch the last train to Gothenburg. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Frida Røsand for inviting me. This was her last meeting as Chair of the Branch. The General Assembly appointed Tone Nørvik Jakobsen (NRK, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) as her successor. The best of luck to Ms Jakobsen and to the Norwegian IAML Branch!