ABSTRACT
As the world of lobbying and representation has become more sophisticated, International Association of Music Libraries (IAML) has increasingly been required to back up its position with clear, often statistical, arguments. Today’s world is therefore far different from that of 1953, when the UK Branch took its first steps and IAML itself had only been officially established for two years. Libraries at that time were, in general, expanding, and perhaps the biggest question facing many libraries in the UK was whether or not to develop a collection of sound recordings. The proliferation of collectable material on music librarianship, and the requirement for a wide range of this and of related material by IAML(UK) members, made the foundation of IAML(UK)’s own library inevitable. A traditional strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats analysis provides a fair summing up of where the Library is at present, and where it is likely to go in the future.
