Conference Agenda

Since the implementation of the Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (2013), the UK’s Sheet Music Task Group has been working towards finding manageable and sustainable solutions to the challenges of collecting digital scores and associated materials as Non-Print Legal Deposit (NPLD). As previously reported by Ridgewell and Chesser (2019) and Roper (2020), a pilot project in 2017-2019 tested workflows for processing PDF scores and capturing associated metadata, resulting in the successful ingest of c.59,000 scores from two participating publishers, Music Sales and Faber. Since then, progress has been limited owing to the consecutive disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic and the cyber-attack on the British Library in October 2023.

This paper reports on progress made since spring 2025. First, I summarise discussions held during workshops for the design of a new Publisher Portal for NPLD materials (due 2026), produced by HighWire Press in consultation with the UK Legal Deposit Libraries. This includes decisions around metadata requirements, and some specific challenges and potential future opportunities posed by less common music notation and exchange formats – notably, the accessibility potential of MusicXML, as it begins to be deployed more widely by some publishers. I also comment on the interim collecting of e-scores from self-publishing composers and small publishers. The paper then broadens to present a state-of-field consideration of interlinked aspects of music publishing that implicate NPLD, including the status of Print-on-Demand and hire materials in the digital age, and digital publishing strategies used by self-publishing composers and newer small music publishers.

The German National Library’s collection mandate covers all texts, images, and sound recordings published in Germany. This responsibility extends beyond physical works to include digital publications.

In recent years, the library has acquired more than 20 million non-physical items, with an annual increase of approximately 2.5 million. These items include e-books, e-journals, digitally published music recordings and digitally published sheet music.

The scale and diversity of digital content present unique challenges requiring fully automated workflows for efficient acquisition, processing, and preservation. To meet these demands, the German National Library has developed key workflows, APIs, metadata converters, and concordances.

This presentation introduces the NoMus Digital Archive, developed by NoMus – an archive and research center dedicated to 20th-century and contemporary music – with a specific focus on the digital preservation and interpretation of the works of Sylvano Bussotti.

The NoMus Digital Archive is conceived as a hybrid documentation system that integrates musical sources, visual materials, performance documentation, and critical writings. Its structure combines traditional archival standards with flexible digital tools, allowing for the coexistence of heterogeneous materials such as scores, sketches, concert programs, correspondence, photographs, video recordings, and performance-related ephemera.

The case of Bussotti is particularly emblematic for exploring the relationship between composition, visual arts, and performance. His works often challenge the boundaries between notated music, graphic art, theatrical gesture, and improvisation. Consequently, performative ephemera—programs, stage notes, annotated scores, costume sketches, and documentation of performance contexts—play a crucial role in reconstructing both the creative process and the history of the reception of his work.

Through the presentation of selected archival examples, this contribution discusses methodological issues relating to the cataloguing, digitization, interpretation, and dissemination of materials present at NoMus, focusing on those belonging to Bussotti.

It also offers a reflection on how performative ephemera can be transformed into active research tools within a digital environment, opening up new perspectives for musicological studies and archival practice.

By addressing these issues, the paper aims to highlight the role of digital music archives and their reenactment in promoting new forms of access, interpretation, and scientific participation.