Remarks on the Polish instruction on alphabetical cataloguing of music prints of the 19th and 20th centuries

Abstract

The author begins with presentation of Polish and global situation at the beginning of the 80s. of the 20^th century, in regard of standardisation of bibliographic description of music prints. He states that a discussion is required concerning final concept of the Polish instruction on alphabetical cataloguing of music prints of the 19^th and 20^th centuries. He suggests analysis of the new, multi-sheet standard of bibliographic description, developed in that time in the Bibliographic Standardisation Unit of the National Library, as a starting point to this discussion. The 6^th sheet of this standard dealt with bibliographic description of music prints –the ISBD for Printed Music published in 1980 and recommended by IFLA and IAML was an international equivalent of that. The author concludes that future Polish cataloguing instruction should be developed, based on the existing project of 1970 by Adam Mrygoń. However, it should be updated based on terminology and international unification trends. He presumes that it will facilitate cataloguing of music prints in Polish libraries, as well as participation in international exchange of music information.