RILM Music Literature and Digital Research Resources
For scholars, librarians, and musicologists, accessing comprehensive international scholarship is essential for academic rigor. RILM Abstracts of Music Literature serves as a cornerstone for this research, providing a vast, multilingual database of music scholarship across various media. Since its inception in August 1967, RILM has evolved from a print-based bibliography into a sophisticated suite of digital tools designed to capture the global breadth of musical study.
Unlike standard periodical indexes, RILM is distinguished by its inclusion of books, detailed abstracts, and a highly selective yet international scope. It covers a diverse array of materials, including single-author books, doctoral dissertations, Festschriften (celebratory publications honoring a scholar), ethnographic recordings, and technical drawings of instruments. Each entry is meticulously crafted to provide the original title, an English translation, full bibliographic data, and a detailed index to ensure the "aboutness" of the record is clear to the researcher.
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Key Facts
- Established: August 1967 as the first abstracted bibliography in the humanities.
- Annual Growth: Approximately 50,000 records are added yearly (15,000 from national committees and 35,000 from the International Office).
- Digital Transition: Moved exclusively online via EBSCO host in 2000.
- Global Reach: Includes multilingual abstracts and expanded coverage of Asian publications, specifically Chinese periodicals.
- Comprehensive Suite: Now encompasses RILM Abstracts, RAFT, RILM Music Encyclopedias, and the Index to Printed Music.
The Evolution of RILM Abstracts
RILM was modeled after the UNESCO cooperative system, utilizing national committees to contribute citations from their respective countries to the International Office in New York. This collaborative approach ensured a truly global perspective on music literature.
The project gained significant prestige when the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) designated it as a pilot project for developing computerized bibliographical systems in the humanities. To support its international user base, RILM developed a subject thesaurus and name equivalencies translated into seventeen languages, allowing researchers to find preferred terms regardless of their native language.
Publication History
The delivery format of RILM has shifted to meet the needs of the digital age:
- 1967–1983: Triannual printed volumes with annual and five-year cumulative indexes.
- 1984–1999: Annual printed volumes with corresponding indexes.
- 2000–Present: Available exclusively online through EBSCO host.
Expanded Digital Offerings
To provide a more holistic research experience, RILM has expanded its ecosystem with specialized databases that go beyond simple citations.
RILM Abstracts of Music Literature with Full Text (RAFT)
Launched in July 2016, RAFT provides full-text access to 250 music periodicals. This service allows users to browse issues cover-to-cover, including often-overlooked materials such as obituaries, editorials, advertisements, and news from the early twentieth century to the present. The database is updated monthly to ensure current scholarship is available.
RILM Music Encyclopedias (RME)
Introduced in December 2015, RME consists of 41 titles that allow for cross-searching across multiple encyclopedias. The collection spans centuries, featuring Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Dictionnaire de musique (1775) and the 1895 first edition of "The Grove." It also includes modern works like the Dictionary of the Avant-Gardes and essential resources for ethnomusicologists, such as The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. The collection grows by an average of four titles per year.
Index to Printed Music (IPM)
Acquired by RILM on July 1, 2018, the Index to Printed Music is a unique digital finding aid for locating specific musical works within printed collections and scholarly editions. It provides granular details, such as performing forces, language, and figured bass (a musical shorthand for harmonies). Since 2019, IPM has added features like music incipits (the opening notes of a piece) and hyperlinks to open-access editions.
Bibliolore: The RILM Blog
Since 2009, RILM has hosted Bibliolore, a blog that connects users to content within its various databases. With over 1,500 posts and 600,000 views, the blog publishes weekly entries that often highlight the anniversaries of significant musical figures and events.
| Resource | Primary Focus | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| RILM Abstracts | International scholarship citations | Multilingual abstracts and indexing |
| RAFT | Full-text music periodicals | Cover-to-cover browsing of 250 titles |
| RME | Music encyclopedias | Cross-searching across 41+ titles |
| IPM | Printed musical works | Granular detail on pieces in collections |
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes RILM different from other music periodical indexes?
RILM differs by including books, providing detailed abstracts, and maintaining a selective yet broad international coverage that spans multiple languages and media types.
How are new records added to the RILM database?
Records are contributed by national committees (about 15,000 annually) and produced by editors at the International Office in New York (about 35,000 annually). Users can also submit bibliographic information directly to the International Center.
What is the purpose of the Index to Printed Music (IPM)?
IPM serves as a digital finding aid to help researchers locate specific pieces of music contained within larger printed sets, anthologies, and complete works of composers.
Can I find non-English scholarship in RILM?
Yes. RILM covers scholarship in any language, provides English translations of titles, and often includes abstracts in the original language of publication, including expanded coverage of Chinese periodicals.
What is RAFT and how does it differ from the standard RILM Abstracts?
While RILM Abstracts provides citations and summaries, RAFT (RILM Abstracts of Music Literature with Full Text) provides the actual full-text articles for 250 music periodicals.