IAML (the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres), founded in 1951, is structured in professional branches,
thematic committees, working groups about specific problems. It carries on an outreach activity, to materials and helps training qualified staff in the so called "developing Countries". From his foundation, IAML has started various projects with other international associations (specifically the International Musicological Society), producing musicological and bibliographical repertoires: RISM (Répertoire International des Sources Musicales), RILM (Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale), RIPM (Répertoire International de la Presse Musicale), and
RIdIM (Répertoire International d'Iconographie Musicale).
From the 50's, IAML has published the Code international de catalogage de la musique, and the Terminorum musicae index septem linguis redactus. IAML co-operates with the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) in developing cataloguing standards and formats, like the bibliographic description standard ISBD(PM) and the UNIMARC format, proposing new tags maintaining code tables for music cataloguing; nowadays new perspectives are open by information retrieval and by multimedia retrieval
