PIP Timeline

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Setting-up of the Commission of Cataloguing and Documentation, headed by Brenda Davies of the BFI, at the London Congress. Its initial programme of work includes “a study of the coordinating of the indexing of periodicals”.

The Commission of Cataloguing and Documentation discusses the exchange of information for the indexing of periodicals. A specimen “guide sheet” based on the Winter 1968-69 issue of Sight and Sound is produced. The FIAF members represented on the Commission agree to produce and exchange similar sheets for periodicals from their own countries. Later a circular is sent to all FIAF members, encouraging them to take part in the scheme.

The Commission of Cataloguing and Documentation splits into two commissions. The new Documentation Commission pursues its discussions on the indexing of periodicals. Karen Jones, librarian of the Danish Film Institute and Commission member, agrees to develop a standard card system which will accommodate all existing indexing systems.

The Documentation Commission meets in Budapest to develop the central periodicals indexing system. A list of 65 key periodicals to be indexed is produced. The project is led by Karen Jones, who was newly-elected vice-president of the Commission of Documentation. Jones suggests that should it be impossible to coordinate the Project from the FIAF office in Brussels, she volunteers to lead it from Denmark. The financial side of the project still needs to be addressed.

Karen Jones presents the proposal to establish the P.I.P. at the FIAF Congress in Wiesbaden.

Special meeting of the Documentation Commission in Prague to deal with the last details of the “Project: Indexing Periodicals”. Eileen Bowser arranged a draft contract with the publisher Bowker in New York for the publication of the annual indexing catalogue (contract eventually signed for 5 years, royalties of 15%). Ib Monty contributed to the early stages of the project, which has already started work. [FIAF Information Bulletin no 1, March 1972]

Karen Jones and Michelle Snapes (= Michelle Aubert) produce the three publications needed for the indexing project: List of subject headings; Guidelines for filing; and Guidelines for indexing.

Karen Jones starts the indexing service from Copenhagen in January and is the editor of the P.I.P. in 1972.

Michael Moulds takes over as P.I.P. editor from Karen Jones (one year half-time contract with FIAF). He will work from his home in London, and will send his notes to the Brussels office where a typist will be hired. Initially the service involved sending out batches of 10,000 cards to FIAF affiliates every year. The cards will be reproduced in Brussels and sent out to all archives.

Karen Jones goes to New York in February to hand over all the indexing cards to the publisher R.R.Bowker and spends a week working together with the editorial staff at Bowker.

Publication of the first volume of the International Index to Film Periodicals, incl. indexing data from 1972. One free copy sent out to each FIAF member archive.

The P.I.P. works together with 24 FIAF affiliates from 18 different countries for the indexing of 60 journals.

1973 is a difficult year financially for the P.I.P., as the Danish Film Institute no longer supports it. FIAF has to cover the deficit.

Karen Jones takes one year’s leave of absence from the Danish Film Institute and is reinstated as editor of the P.I.P. The project is officially moved to London.

After the withdrawal of Bowker, another publisher was sought for the 1974 volume. A 3-year deal was signed with St James Press in London [Note: but they published only two]. The new publisher refused to offer free copies of the Index to FIAF members.

Karen Jones ends her year of leave from the Danish Film Institute.

The Executive Committee appoints Frances Thorpe of London as Editor of the P.I.P.

The Executive Committee decides that P.I.P. Editors are automatically ex-officio members of the Documentation Commission.

MacMillan takes over as publisher for two years.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture announces that they would subsidize for three years (1979-1981) the continuation of the P.I.P.

Start of indexing of television periodicals in the International Index to Television Periodicals.

FIAF starts to publish the annual volumes itself.

April 1980

Publication of the first edition of the Classification Scheme for Literature on Film and Television by Michael Moulds.

Michael Moulds takes over as P.I.P. editor.

May 1981

At the FIAF Congress in Rapallo 12 FIAF archives (so-called P.I.P. Supporters) agree to pay a voluntary extra fee to support the activities of the P.I.P.

Karen Jones and Michael Moulds receive the BFI special award for the P.I.P. on behalf of the Documentation Commission at the National Film Theatre (28 June).

Karen Jones, Michael Moulds & Frances Thorpe organise the first meeting of P.I.P. indexers in London (7/8-9/8).

April 1983

The first printed volume of the International Index to television Periodicals (1979-80) is published.

The original card service is replaced by a microfiche service.

Distribution deal with St. James Press for the UK and US.

The P.I.P. acquires its first own computer and indexing starts in Revelation software.

The P.I.P. moves to another London-based office (North Kensington).

Anthony Blampied starts as Assistant Editor.

P.I.P. Indexing Workshop Montreal.

November 1990

P.I.P. Indexing Workshop in Karlovy Vary.

The P.I.P. office moves to the West End of London.

The microfiches are replaced by a biannual CD-ROM edition, called the International FilmArchive CD-ROM. The first edition included the International Index to Film/TV Periodicals 1985-92; List Periodicals Indexed; List of FIAF Members; and Bibliography of FIAF Members’ Publications 1990-92.

Decision to no longer print volumes of the International Index to Television Periodicals.

The P.I.P. office moves to Brussels and merges with the FIAF Secretariat.

Meeting CD-ROM Editorial Board / Documentation Commission Meeting in Brussels.

Rutger Penne takes over as editor.

P.I.P. contributors can directly index in a new remote version of the Revelation software (DOS) used in the office.

Presentation three-year action plan for the P.I.P.

For the first time, complete data from all volumes of the International Index to Film/ Television Periodicals are included on one disk, featuring a new Windows lay-out.

Television periodicals are no longer indexed, but TV related articles from film journals are still indexed in the International Index to Television Periodicals.

P.I.P. Indexing Workshop at the FIAF Congress in Madrid.

Anthony Blampied leaves and is replaced by Gail Rubenstein as Assistant Editor (September 1999).

Typesetting for the annual volume is done in the P.I.P. office for the first time using Framemaker.

FIAF and IVS sign a partner publishing agreement.

Launch of a new CD-ROM edition using SilverPlatter technology.

First online publication of all the databases featured on the CD-ROM. The name International FilmArchive CD-ROM has been changed to FIAF International FilmArchive Database. Incl. the following databases : the International Index to Film and TV Periodicals, the List of Periodicals Indexed, the Treasures from the Film Archives, the Bibliography of FIAF Members' Publications and the International Directory of Film/TV Documentation Collections. A subscription now includes two CD-ROM updates per annum and quarterly updates on the internet.

Organisation of two regional P.I.P. workshops (Stockholm, Amsterdam).

SilverPlatter starts to distribute the FIAF International FilmArchive Database for all external clients. After Wolters Kluwer acquired SilverPlatter in 2001, Ovid takes over the distribution of the SilverPlatter version of the FIAF Databases.

P.I.P. Workshop in Mexico for Latin American indexers.

P.I.P. Indexing Workshop at the Library of Congress in Washington.

Publication article on the history of the P.I.P. in the Journal of Film Preservation to mark the 30^th anniversary of the project.

Start development work on the new web based indexing database.

FIAF signs a distribution agreement with ProQuest.

The FIAF databases are launched on the Chadwyck-Healey platform offered by ProQuest.

ProQuest starts with FIAF Plus: a full-text film journals package linked to the article records of the International Index to Film Periodicals.

Launch of FIAFCat, a new web based indexing system, which enables P.I.P. contributors to access the central database through the Internet. The International Index to Television Periodicals is no longer updated (TV related articles are now included in the International Index to Film Periodicals).

FIAF affiliates subscribing to FIAF Databases Online have automatically access to the Chadwyck-Healey interface, with quarterly updates. The CD-ROM will only be sent to those subscribers who desire it.

ProQuest includes the FIAF Databases in Film Indexes Online, in combination with two other important film databases: the Film Index International and the AFI Catalog, both produced by FIAF affiliates (BFI and AFI).

Presentation of the P.I.P. Business Plan.

Collaboration with paid free-lance indexer Linda Dunn starts.

All P.I.P. contributors receive the first edition of the FIAFCat Indexing Procedures.

Organisation of various regional P.I.P. workshops: Brussels (September), Copenhagen (20-21 September), Pordenone (October), and Barcelona (November).

All P.I.P. contributors receive the first edition of the P.I.P. Indexing Rules.

Publication of the last CD-ROM edition using SilverPlatter technology.

P.I.P. Indexing Workshop in Paris.

The FIAF databases are now offered on the OvidSP platform (replacing the SilverPlatter platform).

FIAF affiliates have access to two online versions of the FIAF Databases with quarterly updates hosted on servers of our publication partners ProQuest and Ovid.

Presentation new P.I.P. Strategic Plan to the EC.

Publication special dossier on the P.I.P. in the Journal of Film Preservation to mark the 40^th anniversary of the project. Incl. interviews with former editors Karen Jones and Michael Moulds.

September 2012

All the former P.I.P. editors come to Brussels to celebrate with the current P.I.P. staff the 40th anniversary of the project.  

 Karen Jones, Michael Moulds, Frances Thorpe, Rutger Penne, and Anthony Blampied in the P.I.P. Office in Brussels, September 14, 2012

The last printed volume (41) of the International Index to Film Periodicals is published.

The P.I.P. office and the FIAF Secretariat move to another office in Brussels (Rue Blanche 42).

Launch of the new ProQuest platform and Screen Studies Collection, which includes besides the FIAF Databases, the Film Index International (BFI) and the AFI Catalog.

Januari 2016

The P.I.P. begins officially with the indexing of electronic journals.

June-September 2016

Selection procedure for finding qualified free-lance indexers to help the P.I.P. with the indexing of online journals.

April 2017

Rutger Penne presents a paper on FIAF’s Periodicals Indexing Project at the Film Librarians Conference (Los Angeles).

May 2018 - May 2019

Retrospective indexing of issues 1-30 of the FIAF Information Bulletin (publ. from 1972 to 1985) and issues 31-40 of the Bulletin FIAF (publ. from 1986 to 1989).

October 2019

The P.I.P. is indexing a total of 147 film journals. 58 of these titles are indexed by volunteer indexers (39 in total who are mostly working for FIAF affiliates), while an additional 43 are done by 11 free-lancers, who are paid for their work. Besides the editing of all the indexing contributions 46 journals are indexed from scratch by the P.I.P. Editor and the P.I.P. Associate Editor.