Barbara Dobbs Mackenzie, Editor-in-Chief
Since July 1995 RILM has published Volume 26 (1992), Volume 27 (1993), and Cumulative Index 5 (covering Volumes 21-25). Half of Volume 28 (1994) has been completed; we expect to send the finished book to the printer in April 1997. Volume 29 (1995) will be finished by the end of 1997, the first time since the early 1970s that a volume has appeared just two years behind the publication date of its contents. While the staff of the International Center in New York works hard to maintain an increasingly challenging publishing schedule, many of RILM’s national committees are doubling their efforts as well. The chart below shows the growing number of records in each new RILM volume.
| Rilm Year | Number of Records | Year | No. of Entires | Year | No. of Entires | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 2,532 | 1976 | 17,121* | 1985 | 7,639 | ||
| 1968 | 4,311 | 1977 | 6,042 | 1986 | 7,059 | ||
| 1969 | 5,106 | 1978 | 6,459 | 1987 | 9,844 | ||
| 1970 | 4,201 | 1979 | 5,916 | 1988 | 11,753 | ||
| 1971 | 4,639 | 1980 | 5,927 | 1989 | 12,950 | ||
| 1972 | 4,159 | 1981 | 6,641 | 1990 | 12,093 | ||
| 1973 | 4,504 | 1982 | 6,165 | 1991 | 12,802 | ||
| 1974 | 4,235 | 1983 | 6,654 | 1992 | 14,598 | ||
| 1975 | 4,701 | 1984 | 7,681 | 1993 | 15,119 |
• The 1976 volume includes many items missed in past years.Other news
• In July 1996 RILM was launched online on OCLC’s FirstSearch and Epic services. Converting and loading RILM’s complex data onto OCLC was a long and difficult process. We are very grateful to Alan Green (Ohio State University), who spent countless hours on RILM’s behalf at the OCLC offices in Dublin, Ohio, explaining our data to them and making sure it would be properly displayed and searchable. Both our online service and (beginning in 1998) our CD-ROM will be updated quarterly.
• RILM is pleased to announce that our electronic versions will include current article citations from major music periodicals. This service is being provided by the International Center in New York. Citations of 1996 articles in hundreds of music journals will be available online early in 1997, and by 1 May 1997 both our online database and CD-ROM should include all citations for 1996 and the first three months of 1997. These citations will be replaced with RILM’s abstracted and thoroughly indexed records as soon as the latter become available.
• We are currently working on a major revision and expansion of RILM’s International Thesaurus (translations of our indexing terms). Software development for the project is complete and data entry has begun. We expect to publish thesauri covering up to 20 languages, and several of RILM’s national committee members are providing translations for us. We anticipate publishing the International Thesaurus in bound volumes as well as on our CD-ROM and online products.
• RILM’s first two years (1967 and 1968) will soon be added to our CD-ROM and online versions. This summer we began scanning the pages of Volumes 1 and 2 and converting the scanned data into an uploadable format. The project is ca. 75% complete; we plan to add the data to our electronic publications early in 1997.
• RILM’s new web site (http://rilm.cic.net) was officially launched this autumn. Designed by the tireless Alan Green, the site gives information about the latest goings-on at RILM as well as a description of our scope, subscription information, a list of staff members and national committees (many with links to their own web sites or e-mail addresses), a catalogue of some 3200 journal titles cited in RILM between 1989 and 1993, and—perhaps most important—user-friendly abstract forms to permit electronic submissions directly from the web site to RILM. Once a keyer types in a citation and abstract, clicking the SEND button speeds the record either to the International Center in New York or the appropriate national committee. These electronic forms are available to anyone wishing to submit abstracts. There are also password-protected forms reserved for national committee use.
• RILM has moved. Our temporary new space is at the Graybar Building (43rd Street and Lexington Avenue, just above Grand Central Station). Here, instead of three cramped and windowless rooms, we have 4½ rooms with more than double the space, windows with great views, and even a small lounge. Come for a visit! We expect to be in these quarters until at least summer 1998, when we are scheduled to take up residence in a permanent new home in the former B. Altman Building (across the street from the Empire State Building). (Please note that our mailing address and fax and telephone numbers have remained the same.)
• On 17 April 1996 Adam O’Connor, our Editor-in-Chief since 1991, died of AIDS. His loss is a great tragedy to RILM and to all who knew him. It was under his hand that RILM began to flourish again. Shortly before his death Adam established the A.P.J. O’Connor Fund to foster young persons’ participation in and love of the arts and for the benefit of the environment. Contributions may be sent to Community Funds, Inc., 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-9385, c/o Jane Wilton, Esq., General Counsel.
Barbara Dobbs Mackenzie
Editor-in-Chief