27 February 2013
The AMC moves to Ultimo in May 2013
The Australian Music Centre will be moving during May and relocating to the APRA|AMCOS building in Ultimo, Sydney. This move has become necessary due to the ArtsNSW premises transitioning to become a hub for major NSW festivals. The 2011 changes in AMC's funding from the Australia Council preclude us from considering commercial property options.
We are pleased to announce that positive discussions with APRA|AMCOS have resulted in APRA offering to accommodate the AMC under a management arrangement. The move represents the next step in the evolution of the AMC operating primarily in the online environment, a journey we commenced more than a decade ago, with services, from library loans and sales transactions to lodgement of works into the digital repository, all offered online. Both organisations also acknowledge the potential benefits to be achieved on behalf of artists through a closer operating relationship between the AMC and APRA.
APRA CEO Brett Cottle stated, 'The Australian Music Centre is a highly valued cultural institution with a unique collection of Australian art music. Our aim is to bring economies of scale to the Centre for the ultimate benefit of Australian composers, and in due course to expand the range of services provided by the AMC.'
We will retain the same expertise in the team serving our
members, our represented artists, and our customers. What we
won't have is storage space for all of the AMC collection, or
on-site access to some materials. This is why we are currently in
the middle of a large-scale project to fast-track the creation of
digital copies of physical materials in our collection. A large
portion of the physical materials in the AMC collection,
including scores already digitised, will be housed in other
relevant institutions or collections. While this causes some
sadness to the AMC's dedicated team, we are excited by the
potential of our extensive online presence being further extended
and developed.
Our members and represented artists will receive more detailed
information about the various phases of the move, and its
implications for the AMC's activities. Our email and web
addresses will remain the same, and the street address and
telephone details will be confirmed at a later date. We
anticipate being settled in our new home from June 2013.
Further links
APRA|AMCOS website http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/
© Australian Music Centre (2013) — Permission must be obtained from the AMC if you wish to reproduce this article either online or in print.
The Australian Music Centre connects people around the world to Australian composers and sound artists. By facilitating the performance, awareness and appreciation of music by these creative artists, it aims to increase their profile and the sustainability of their art form. Established in 1974, the AMC is now the leading provider of information, resources, materials and products relating to Australian new music.
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What a sad post
by Cathy Aggett on 1 March, 2013, 5:49pm
I know the AMC has been talking about this move for some time and that digitising scores for loans has been occuring, but as a member who's been coming to the centre both here and at your other home up the stairs in the heart of the rocks for so long now to study, buy and borrow books, scores and CDs, I am so saddened to think the collection will be split up! The staff at the AMC would have to be some of the most special people I know. Nothing is too much trouble and their collective knowledge is just astounding. I've been a bit lazy as my research has reached a peak over the last couple of years and I mostly call and get material sent out or call and ask for what I need if I can't find it on the web. If my enquiry can't be answered immediately, a staff member will always get back to me. I thank the AMC for that kind of amazing service. I'll be interested to hear what's happening with the physical collection of books and scores. Thank you for keeping up posted. I am sad, but I understand these measures were necessary to keep going. Every best wish to all of you in what I'm sure will be an exceedingly busy period.
Cathy Aggett
collecting materials
by Michael Hooper on 4 March, 2013, 10:20am
'A large portion of the physical materials in the AMC collection, including scores already digitised, will be housed in other relevant institutions or collections.' Is there more information about what this means? I had always assumed that the AMC was the relevant collection. The collection (the collecting) of scores and parts strikes me as crucial.
(Will people still be able to buy hard copies of scores?)
affirmative affirmative affirmative
by John Davis on 4 March, 2013, 10:33am
Hi Michael
Yes, of course, collecting content will continue as it has always has, as core to AMC services. Composers have been lodging scores only in digital formats for over 4 years now, and we have been producing hard copies for sales from digital master copies. This will not change, as the production of quality materials for performance is also core to our services.
jd
More on the housing of the AMC's collection
by Cathy Aggett on 12 March, 2013, 12:29pm
Thank you for your response, John to Michael's comment.
The sentence Michael quoted stating 'A large portion of the physical materials in the AMC collection, including scores already digitised, will be housed in other relevant institutions or collections' would suggest some resources currently available only at the AMC - some rare manuscripts and older dissertations lodged with the centre - may be sent to a number of institutions, perhaps around Australia? Will there be a listing available (on the catalogue or an update?) that will detail the location of the resources?