The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s Library and Archives will be the world’s most comprehensive repository of written and audiovisual materials relating to the history of rock and roll. The Library and Archives will collect, preserve, and provide access to these resources in order to educate people about rock and roll, its roots, and its impact on society. In late 2010, the Library and Archives will open its doors and begin serving the needs of scholars, educators, students, the media, and the general public.
The Library and Archives will house thousands of books and dissertations, hundreds of periodical titles, thousands of sound and video recordings, and thousands of boxes of archival materials (including personal papers, correspondence, photographs, song manuscripts, business records, contracts, press kits, posters, flyers, concert programs, and clippings). The collections will focus on rock and roll, its precursors (including blues, R&B, gospel, and country), and related music genres (including soul, hip hop, and reggae). It will also spotlight subjects such as the music business and popular music criticism. Additionally, the Library and Archives will eventually provide access to never-before-seen video footage of the Rock Hall’s events and educational programming, such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, the American Music Masters series, the Hall of Fame series, and the From Songwriters to Soundmen series.
Construction of the Library and Archives’ new 22,500-square-foot facility is now complete. The Library and Archives’ staff is currently in the process of transferring its archival collections from offsite storage and has begun to catalog, process, and preserve these resources for future generations.
The Library and Archives is located on the Metropolitan Campus of Cuyahoga Community College near downtown Cleveland. It is approximately two miles southeast of the Museum.
The Library and Archives is not yet open to the public, and its staff is currently unable to assist with reference requests. The Library and Archives will open its doors in late 2010.
If you are interested in donating library or archival materials to the Library and Archives, please contact us by phone at 216.515.1956 or send an e-mail message to library@rockhall.org.
The Rock Hall will continue to advertize new full-time positions for the Library and Archives, and we also offer internship opportunities to eligible college or graduate school students. For more information, please visit Careers, Internships and Volunteers. Inquiries regarding employment should be directed to hr@rockhall.org.
