Getting started
- Arrange a meeting for as many people as possible who are interested in forming a national branch. Try to be as inclusive as possible: IAML is an association of music librarians, music archivists and music documentalists. Our members work in academic, conservatoire, public, national, orchestra and broadcasting libraries as well as in several types of music archives or music documentation centres. IAML also welcomes anyone with an interest in our work to be a member.
- Elect or appoint an interim committee to work on the organization of the branch, and download a copy of the IAML constitution, to use as a basis for constructing the constitution of your national branch. You will need to designate a headquarters, usually the workplace of an officer (generally the President or Secretary). It will be helpful if the institution concerned is prepared to cover all or part of communication costs: postage, telephone calls, etc.
- Elect or appoint branch officers. A minimum of three is suggested: President, Treasurer, Secretary. The President must be elected, but you may wish to appoint officers such as Treasurer, and Secretary, to ensure that the incumbent has the appropriate expertise and facilities.
- Submit a request to become a national branch to the IAML Board together with a copy of your constitution, the names of your officers and your expected membership base.
- Start to collect annual membership dues from your members. As soon as possible send the following to the IAML Treasurer: individual and institutional annual dues for each member at the current rates, a list of all members with names, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and email addresses where available. Twenty per cent (20%) of the dues collected may be retained for your branch's use. You may additionally charge a sum in excess of the IAML dues, in order to accumulate funds to run your branch. Once the dues have been received by the IAML Treasurer, you will become an official national branch of IAML.
Conditions that must be fulfilled to be accepted as a national branch
- There must be a written constitution, which must not conflict with the IAML constitution.
- The national branch itself cannot be a IAML member. The individual and institutional members of the national branch are the members of IAML.
- The President must be an elected officer. Other officers such as Treasurer, and Secretary, may be appointed.
Having become a national branch
- The branch annual report should be submitted to the Editor of Fontes artis musicae and to the Secretary General who should be informed as soon as possible of any changes of branch officers.
