Conference summary “Music archives and composer’s legacy in the collections of Polish libraries”

The following has been sent to us by Hanna Bias, Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music Library in Katowice:

Conference summary “Music archives and composer’s legacy in the collections of Polish libraries”

Warsaw, December 1-2, 2016

A two-day programme at the conference titled “Music archives and composer’s legacy in the collections of Polish libraries” was rich in presentations, panel discussions and interactive dialogues. The conference was held at the University of Warsaw Library on December 1-2, 2016. It was organised by Music Libraries Section of the Polish Librarians Association - Polish National Group of IAML and Music Department of the University of Warsaw Library. The conference was attended by 40 participants from 22 libraries - Music Collection Department of the National Library of Poland, music academies and universities libraries, music departments of university and public libraries.

The aim of the conference was to present the range of issues faced by music librarians and archivists dealing with music manuscripts, letters, documents, posters, programmes. Our intention was to discuss and share experiences on how to organize the collection, what are the methods of acquisition, cataloguing and preservation of music archives and legacies of composers. During the discussion panels, the participants sought answers to questions for the future and perspectives of developments of music archives.

The conference venue was not accidental. The Archives of Polish Composers was established as a separate part of Music Department of the University of Warsaw Library orientated towards the comprehensive documentation of Polish contemporary music sources. The 5 papers and 12 reports delivered at the conference sessions fell into three sessions. The workshop "What to do with the dress in the archives ...? and many other questions of music librarian", led by Magdalena Borowiec and Alexandra Górka from the Archives of Polish Composers, was devoted to discussing the various stages of musical archives.

The Conference was accompanied by concert dedicated to Andrzej Spóz (Director of Library, Museum and Archives of the Stanisław Moniuszko Warsaw Music Society, Honorary Member of the Music Libraries Section of the Polish Librarians Association) on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

The detailed conference programme and a photo gallery can be found on the website of the Polish National Branch of IAML: www.iaml.pl

Image: Włodzimierz Pigła, Andrzej Spóz, Stanisław Hrabia. Courtesy of Hanna Bias.