Cataloguing and Metadata

The Cataloguing and Metadata Section addresses current issues of interest and importance for bibliographic cataloguing and metadata related to music resources of all types and in any medium. The Section develops IAML’s official positions on bibliographic control of music materials; participates in maintaining and revising international standards for descriptive and subject cataloguing and for electronic transmission of bibliographic data; shares information from the various IAML communities about recent news, information, best practices, etc.; considers other such issues as may be requested by the IAML Board. The Section may establish communication with similar units in other library organizations, at the national or international level, either directly or through IAML bodies. It will also work with other IAML groups considering issues concerning cataloguing and metadata.

Summary of the business meeting 28-29 July 2022.
Summary of the usiness meeting 14-15 Oct 2021.

Ongoing Projects

• Participate in the ISBD Review Group as liaison from IAML.
• Participate in the IFLA Permanent UNIMARC Committee as representative from IAML.
• Oversee the Project Group: Annotated Exemplars of Music Cataloguing with RDA/LRM in UNIMARC 
  • Build a stronger network of cataloging support for smaller institutions and institutions that have recently joined OCLC.
• Oversee the Study Group: Linked Data Hub for Music Vocabularies 
  • Explore the use of open linked data platforms such as VIAF and Wikidata to improve mapping across IFLA and LC vocabularies
  • Study the usability of the medium of performance in
    • the new IFLA namespace, especially the technical aspect of multilingual data structure / display
    • data models in LRM, RDA, MARC21/UNIMARC, etc.
• Maintain the UNIMARC codes for Form of Musical Work and Medium of Performance as delegated by IFLA.
• Maintain dialogues with the R-Projects on topics of cataloguing and metadata. 

Potential/Future Projects

• Medium of Performance
  • Refine the “has medium of performance” property in LRMer (IFLA Library Reference Model Entity Relationship) (http://iflastandards.info/ns/lrm/lrmer/hasMediumOfPerformance)
  • Work with colleagues in Japan/Poland on adding Japanese/Polish medium of performance terms to the IFLA namespace.
  • Work with colleagues in Ireland to incorporate Irish musical instruments into the medium of performance vocabulary.
  • Work with colleagues at RILM to incorporate Chinese musical instruments into the medium of performance vocabulary.
• Form of Musical Work
  • Link each IFLA Form of Musical Work code to an LCGFT term.
  • Conduct a systematic review of the Form of Musical Work vocabulary (https://www.iflastandards.info/unimarc/terms/fom)
• Other Vocabularies
  • Compile lists of terms for non-tonal western music (octatonic, microtonal, etc.) and for traditions other than western music (raga, maqam, etc.), to be used for the “has key” property E3A7 in the IFLA Library Reference Model Entity Relationship (https://www.iflastandards.info/lrm/lrmer#E3A7)
  • Improve labeling and machine actionability of the Church Mode of Musical Work vocabulary (https://www.iflastandards.info/unimarc/terms/chm)
  • Improve machine actionability of the Key of Musical Work vocabulary (https://www.iflastandards.info/unimarc/terms/key)
  • Conduct a systematic review of the Format of Notated Music vocabulary (https://www.iflastandards.info/unimarc/terms/tos)
• Plaine and Easie Code (https://www.iaml.info/plaine-easie-code)
  • 2021: A video tutorial is now available: https://rism.info/new_at_rism/2021/06/10/plaine-easie-code-new-tutorial.html
  • 2022: RISM has been revisiting input and search of music incipits in these projects: https://rism.info/electronic_resources/2019/02/04/new-projects-with-risms-music-incipts.html

Completed Projects

• Consult with the Project Group on RISM Series C on MARC21 authority revisions for updating the Directory of Music Institutions — completed 2020
• Migrated the code lists for musical forms and medium of performance from a relational database to the new IFLA namespace — completed 2020
• Linked each IFLA medium of performance code to an LCMPT term — completed 2019
• Plaine and easie code version maintained by the International Association of Music Libraries and the Répertoire International des Sources Musicales
• Working Group on the Exchange of Authority Data. Chair — work ended 2011
• Working Group on Music Ontologies — work ended 2011
• Working Group on ISBD and Music — work ended 2008
• Working group on Core Bibliographic Record for Music and Sound Recordings — 1994 – 1998

The Section oversees the following Study Group:

• Linked Data Hub for Music Vocabularies

The Section oversees the following Project Group:

• Annotated Exemplars of Music Cataloguing with RDA/LRM in UNIMARC

The Section oversaw the following sub-commissions:

• Sub-commission on UNIMARC (2003-2016)
• Sub-commission on ISBD and Music (2010-2016)