Archives and Music Documentation Centres

Terms of reference
The Archives and Music Documentation Centres Section addresses topics related to the diverse music-related materials held by the archives of all types of institutions as well as music documentation centres and private collections. It seeks to explore new ways to effectively preserve their holdings and increase awareness of them. To this end it aims to document and draw attention to little-known collections, and to improve access to all such holding institutions.

History
The Archives and Music Documentation Centres Section was established in 1993. It started as a Project Group under the Bibliography Commission in 1984 but since archival questions needed more attention, the need for a new special section gradually became clear.

Over the years the focus has been on presentations of various holdings with the aim of making them better known but at the same time also sharing knowledge on working methods. The section also wants to involve the rich resources found in music documentation centres.

The section supports initiatives aiming at promotion and preservation of archival materials. In connection with this, questions of archival theory and methods are addressed.

Finally, it is important to facilitate the access to music archives. How should institutions best inform about their holdings? Databases, outreach and publications have been topics for discussion. From 2005-2017, the section also had a special working group dealing with the question of access: the Project Group on the Access to Music Archives. From 2019–2022, a new Project Group was active called the Project Group on RISM Series C.

Projects

• RISM Belgium Institutions