Bursaries for the IAML 2024 International Congress in Stellenbosch

The Music Libraries Trust is pleased to open applications for the Ian Ledsham Bursary for 2024. The Ian Ledsham Bursary Fund exists to honour the memory of Ian Ledsham, a long-standing and much respected member of the UK & Ireland Branch of IAML, who died in September 2005. The fund offers financial support to IAML (UK & Ireland) branch members who wish to attend IAML's international conferences.

This year, IAML 2024 will be held in Stellenbosch, South Africa, from the 23rd to the 28th of June. Do visit the congress website for more information and for the preliminary programme. Due to the extra cost of travel to South Africa for this congress, the amount awarded this year will exceptionally be £700. The successful candidate will be required to write a 1,000-word report about attending the conference that will be published on relevant IAML and MLT websites.

The application procedure and funding application form can be found on the Music Libraries Trust website. The deadline for submitting applications is Sunday the 5th of May. To apply, please fill out the form and email it, with any other supporting documents, to the Bursaries Administrator, Richard Douglas, at bursaries@musiclibrariestrust.org.

Bursaries for the IAML (UK & Irl) Annual Study Weekend 2024

IAML (UK & Irl), will be holding this year’s Annual Study Weekend on 5th-7th April in Leeds. The study weekend is a fantastic opportunity to network and keep up to date with music librarians and others who work with music across the UK and Ireland. This year’s programme in particular includes various presentations on implementing equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives in music libraries.

The Music Libraries Trust is pleased to award a limited number of bursaries to students and library staff who would like to attend this year’s ASW. Priority is given to those who would otherwise be unable to attend and who have no other sources of funding, and to those attending their first ASW. Both full and part bursaries are available, which include up to £70 for travel expenses.

More information about the conference, including a draft programme and booking information, can be found on the IAML (UK & Irl) website.

For more information and to view the application form, please visit the bursaries page on the MLT website, or contact Richard Douglas, Bursaries Administrator, at bursaries@musiclibrariestrust.org.

RECORDING OF NEWLY DISCOVERED SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR SONG

The Music Libraries Trust awarded £500 to Jonathan Frank, Royal College of Music Library, to record the recently discovered Samuel Coleridge-Taylor song ‘Nourmahal’s Song’.  The recording was presented at the IAML 2023 Congress in Cambridge, and follows the publication “Nourmahal’s Song : an unknown Coleridge-Taylor work” by Jonathan Frank, Fontes Artis Musicae, 69, no. 2 (April-June 2022) 142-156, which received the Vladimir Fedorov Award.

Bursaries for IAML 2023 International Congress

The Music Libraries Trust is now accepting applications for bursaries to attend the Cambridge 2023 IAML International Congress, including funds from the Ian Ledsham bursary. This year’s IAML international congress in Cambridge will be held from 30 July to 4 August. See the conference website for more information and booking details.

As the IAML International Congress is being hosted in the UK this year, the Music Libraries Trust is pleased to announce it will be providing a number of bursaries to IAML (UK & Irl) members for attendance. These will be a mixture of full and part bursaries up to £395, depending on the number and the needs of applicants. Applications for funding for the cost of both the entire week and specific days will be considered.

The successful candidates will be required to write a 1,000-word report about attending the conference that may be published on relevant IAML and MLT websites. The full application procedure and funding application form can be found on and downloaded from the Music Libraries Trust website. The deadline for submitting applications is the 23rd of April. To apply, please fill out the form and email it with any other supporting documents to the Bursaries Administrator, Richard Douglas, at bursaries@musiclibrariestrust.org.

Voluntary Opportunity: Music Libraries Trust bursaries administrator

The Music Libraries Trust is looking for a new Bursaries Administrator to manage the bursary for the IAML (UK & Irl) Annual Study Weekend, and the Ian Ledsham bursary for the international IAML conference. The volunteer role is rewarding and offers a range of experience and networking opportunities.  

The role involves:  

• Advertising the bursaries through universities, social media and IAML

• Contacting and liaising with possible sponsors, often music publishers, by post and email

• Liaising with IAML committees about prices and to inform them of successful bursary applicants

• Acting as a point of contact for successful bursary applicants

• Attending quarterly meetings, where all Trust business is discussed. A Bursaries Report is given at each meeting

• Writing blog posts on the Music Libraries Trust website about relevant bursary opportunities and uploading conference reports

• Opportunities sometimes arise for engaging with further Trust activity on an ad hoc basis, if desired

The role will begin in September. Please contact Music Libraries Trust secretary, Edith Speller secretary@musiclibrariestrust.org if interested. 

Music libraries in the UK: a vision for the future

A new vision for the future of music libraries in the UK has been created by the Music Libraries Trust, in partnership with Making Music and the UK and Ireland branch of IAML (International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres), outlining their significance and how access and sustainability of these crucial resources can be improved.

Download and share the Music Libraries Vision: Summary | Full version 

The public library network has so far been the largest and most cost-effective provider of the sheet music which most music groups – whether leisure-time vocal and instrumental groups, professional or educational ensembles – use. 

In the last 20 years, however, music libraries have been impacted by local authority budget cuts. With a lack of political understanding of the significance of these resources for community music activity, there has been no investment which could make them financially sustainable for cash-strapped local authority libraries: e.g. online catalogues and digital systems for booking and paying.

Now, this document sets out a vision of how music libraries could function sustainably, to the benefit of communities, participants and audiences. The document also gives a brief background, records the current state of play and outlines recommendations.

These include bringing together a national steering group of all interested parties, including funders, operators and users, to explore how to integrate services and resources on a national basis; and safeguard material when a local service closes, identifying a depository of last resort.

Barbara Eifler, Making Music Chief Executive, said:

“At Making Music we have been working with individual services, local authorities and providers for seven years, and now know that it is possible to ensure a future for music libraries whilst relieving under-resourced local authorities of all or most of the financial burden. We look forward to this vision opening up a conversation which will benefit all parties in the longer term and underpin the thriving community music scene for which the UK is rightly known."

Sally Groves MBE, former Creative Director at Schott Music and Chair of the Music Libraries Trust, said: 

“The Music Libraries Trust is dedicated to safeguarding and improving the relationship between librarians and users. Following our large-scale survey of this community during 2020, we are delighted to be working with our partners to find a sustainable way to support the vibrant musical culture that the UK is celebrated for. It all starts with the notes!” 

Katharine Hogg, immediate past President of IAML and music librarian at the Foundling Museum, said: 

“The UK & Ireland branch of the International Association of Music Libraries works to provide the best possible service to musicians and music lovers, working across sectors to enable a flourishing and diverse musical life for all library users and their communities. Working with the Music Libraries Trust and Making Music, we are seeking to sustain and improve our offering to music makers and their audiences and to ensure that the rich musical resources we hold are accessible for all.”

Download and share the Music Libraries Vision: Summary | Full version 

If your local music library services are under threat, email info@makingmusic.org.uk so that Making Music and its partners can offer help and support.

---ENDS---

Making Music, 8 Holyrood Street, London SE1 2EL
020 7939 6030
info@makingmusic.org.uk
www.makingmusic.org.uk

Twitter: @MakingMusic_UK
Instagram: @makingmusicuk
Facebook: facebook.com/makingmusicuk
YouTube: youtube.com/makingmusic

Making Music, The National Federation of Music Societies
A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales no. 308632
Registered Charity in England and Wales no. 249219 and in Scotland no. SC038849

NOTES TO EDITORS

Making Music has championed leisure-time music groups since 1935 across the UK with practical services, artistic development opportunities and by providing a collective voice for its members. We represent over 3,800 groups made up of around 220,000 musicians of all types, genres and abilities. We help them run their groups so they can get on with making music! www.makingmusic.org.uk

Music Libraries Trust supports and funds the education and training of music librarians, and research projects related to music libraries, librarianship and bibliography. www.musiclibrariestrust.org

IAML (UK & Ireland) is a branch of the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres and represents members working with music and music information provision in libraries and other institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland. https://iaml-uk-irl.org

Voluntary opportunity: Music Libraries Trust treasurer [now filled]

Update Jan 2022: Kathy Adamson (formerly Royal Academy of Music) is our new treasurer from Feb 2022. Thank you to everyone who shared the vacancy or got in touch about it.

The Music Libraries Trust is seeking a new treasurer to assist our work supporting the education and training of music library staff in the UK and Ireland, as well as funding research projects relating to music libraries, librarianship and bibliography. Most recently we organised and funded a survey of music library users with research recently published on the findings.

The role is not time-consuming and Chris our current treasurer has outlined the responsibilities below.

Music Libraries Trust | Treasurer | Job Spec

• Run and maintain the current account (currently a cheque account with NatWest) and the deposit account (Saffron Building Society).

• Administer payments from the current account (around 10-15 payments annually).

• Attend Trustee meetings three times a year. Meetings are currently online via Zoom – we anticipate moving to two online and one in person meeting annually, usually at the British Library in London. Reasonable travel expenses are paid for the in person meeting.

• Give a brief report at Trustee meetings outlining the balances on both accounts and listing any expenses / deposits during the previous quarter.

• Claim Gift Aid from HMRC on any donations.

• Keep a simple excel spreadsheet of deposits in and payments out.

• Preparation and presentation of Annual Accounts.

 We would like someone with experience of working in or with music libraries to take on this role.

You will need good attention to detail but no previous experience as a treasurer is required. Support will be given as necessary for you to become comfortable with carrying out the role.

If you’d like to express an interest or have any questions about the role please contact our secretary Edith Speller at secretary@musiclibrariestrust.org / e.speller@trinitylaban.ac.uk by Fri 17 December.

MLT’s trustees would like to express our sincere gratitude to our outgoing treasurer Chris Jackson for his work to keep the charity operating.