I am pleased to share that University of Toronto Libraries has established trial access for RIPM Jazz Periodicals, and we hope to finalize licensing for a subscription to the resource in the coming weeks.

Launched in May 2019 as a collaboration between Le Répertoire international de la presse musicale (RIPM) and the Institute of Jazz Studies of Rutgers University, RIPM Jazz Periodicals is a comprehensive database that provides online access to over 100 American jazz journals and magazines. This collection serves to significantly expand access to jazz periodicals at the U of T Music Library, with existing print coverage for only 10 of the 122 journals currently represented in RIPM Jazz Periodicals. The platform also offers additional features that will benefit researchers, such as full-text indexing to allow for keyword searches, as well as the ability to save and print articles.

Publication dates for the content in RIPM Jazz Periodicals range from 1914 to the early 2000s, with coverage peaking in the mid-40s. Highlights of the collection include complete coverage for the first 30 years of Down Beat (1934-1962), as well as full coverage of Cadence from 1976 through 2000. In addition to well-known jazz periodicals, the database also features many less common publications, most of which are not available elsewhere in electronic format, and hard to come by in print. RIPM is also continually adding content to the collection, and are planning an update to their interface in March 2021 that will include new features, such as the addition of Author and Title fields to the database. This dedication to developing the most comprehensive online database of jazz periodicals makes RIPM Jazz Periodicals a game changer for jazz research.

For more information on the details of the content and features of RIPM Jazz Periodicals, see Carlos E. Peña’s review [1] of the platform in the March 2020 edition of Notes, the quarterly journal of the Music Library Association. Also, keep an eye out for a review by Doctor of Musical Arts candidate and Graduate Student Library Assistant, Meghan Gillespy, in the June 2021 edition of the Canadian Association of Music Libraries’ CAML Review! You can also keep up to date on new additions and updates to RIPM Jazz Periodicals by visiting ripmjazz.org.

Trial access for RIPM Jazz Periodicals
Trial runs through February 22, 2021. We are hoping to establish a subscription before the trial expires. I will update this post once licensing is complete.

[1] Peña, C.,E. 2020. "RIPM jazz periodicals." Notes 76 (2): 486-490.