Local Music Collections in Cultural Heritage Institutions: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Abstract

Artifacts of local music scenes are increasingly being collected and documented in cultural heritage institutions such as libraries, archives, and museums. Managing local music materials requires specialisation that falls outside standard approaches to collection management. Collection managers often work independently and there is little professional literature that addresses best practises for working with local music materials. This study aims to summarise the professional practises of local music collection managers in cultural heritage institutions using a qualitative systematic review of the literature. The content of fifty scholarly and professional sources was analysed using a qualitative content analysis. Findings document the challenges and solutions for managing, preserving, and providing public access. Four overarching categories are identified: Collection Development, Collection Management, Access, and Context. The article proposes a new conceptual framework, which outlines themes pointing to the implications of this study for practise. The framework places local and institutional context at the centre of decisions related to community engagement, content, systems and infrastructure, workflows, and technology. This research has relevance to institutions, collectors, and practitioners who are interested in building or developing local music collections, working with local music communities, or supporting local musicians.