Houman Behzadi is the Head Librarian of the Marvin Duchow Music Library, a position he resumed in 2019. Previously, he served as Music Collection Development Librarian at the University of Toronto Libraries, where he managed Canada’s largest academic music collection. He was President of the Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (CAML) from 2019 to 2021, and served as a Board Member-at-Large of the United States Music Library Association from 2023 to 2025. He currently holds a few administrative roles within the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (IAML).
International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres
- Advocacy Committee (member: 2022 – 2023; Chair: 2024 – 2026)
- Online Events Committee (member: 2023 – 2025; Co-Chair: 2026 – 2028)
- Vice-Chair of the Audio-Visual Materials Section (2017 – 2021)
Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres
- Local Organizer for the CAML 2024 Conference at 51Թ (2023 – 2024)
- Member of the CAML Collections Committee (2021 – Present)
- President (Elected 4-year mandate)
- One year as President Elect (2018)
- Two years as President (2019 – 2021)
- One year as Past President (2022)
- Chair of the 50th Anniversary Conference Planning Committee in June 2021
Music Library Association (USA)
- Board Member-at-Large: Assistance Planning Officer (2023 – 2024); Planning Officer (2024 – 2025)
- Member of the MLA 2025 Conference Planning Task Force (2024 – 2025); ex officio member of the 2025 Program Committee
- Member of the MLA 2024 Conference Planning Task Force (2023 – 2024)
- Member of the MLA Resource Sharing and Collection Development Committee (2014 – 2018)
Behzadi, H. (2016). Building a collection of Iranian music at the University of Toronto Music Library. CAML Review, 44(3), 15–31.
Dataset: Doi, C., & Behzadi, H. 2020, “Impact of Library Budgets on Music Collections in Canadian Academic Libraries”, , UAL Dataverse, V1
Poster: Behzadi, H., & Kuntz, B. (2018). Diversifying music collections by design: Responding to the needs of Iranian music researchers in North America. The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion, 2(1/2).
Behzadi, H. (2025, July). Documenting music library histories: Charting a path for advocacy, outreach, and strategic navigation. Presented at the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres Congress, Salzburg, Austria.
Behzadi, H. (2025, March). So you want to write the history of your music library? A guide for music librarians and library administrators. Presented at the Music Library Association Conference, online.
Behzadi, H. (2024, June). How well are we walking the walk? Modest though meaningful steps to support user demands for scores from underrepresented composers. Presented at the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres Congress, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Behzadi, H., Guise, J. (2024, June). Quebec Chapter of CAML: Tracing the history of a community of practice / Section québécoise de l’ACBM : retracer l’histoire d’une communauté de pratique. Presented at the Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres Conference, Montreal, Quebec.
Behzadi, H. (2023, July). A nation in concert: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Radio Program Archives as a narrative of local music history. Presented at the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres Congress, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Doi, C., Deck, T., Penner, K., Behzadi, H. (2023, May). CAML Collections Committee BIPOC Canadian Composers Shared Collecting Plan. Presented at the Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres Conference, Quebec City, Quebec.
Behzadi, H. (2021, July). My first two years as Head Music Librarian: Using process design to enhance teamwork and critical thinking within my team. Presented at the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres Congress, online.
Behzadi, H., Guise, J. (2020, February). Departing is such sweet sorrow: Vulnerability in library succession planning. Presented at the Music Library Association Conference, Norfolk, Virginia.
Behzadi, H., Tillman, C., Boettcher, B. (2017, May). Consortia models for music collections: Dream or possibility? Panel presentation at the Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres Conference, Toronto, Ontario.
Behzadi, H., Marks, S. (2017, May). Preserving the music o’ Canada: Acquisition and digital preservation of our recorded heritage. Presented at the Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres Conference, Toronto, Ontario.