Explore the Most Comprehensive Repository of Rock & Roll History
The Library & Archives collects, preserves, and provides access to our collections to help you engage and teach with the materials, and to inspire you to tell the future stories of rock & roll.
Explore the Rock Hall’s extensive holdings:
- Books
- Magazines, fanzines, and newspapers
- Commercial audio and video recordings, including over 100,000 pieces of vinyl
- Audio and video box sets
- Access to research databases
Ideal for: fans, teachers, parents
Explore the Rock Hall’s unique archival collections:
- Personal papers, photographs, and recordings of artists
- Writings and research of scholars, journalists, and critics
- Business records of record labels, executives, managers, management agencies, disc jockeys, and more
- Original audio and video recordings
- Institutional records of the museum
Ideal for: scholars, documentarians, media, teachers, History Day students
The Library & Archives is open to visitors, Monday through Wednesday, 10am to 4pm, by advanced appointment only. Appointments require at least 3 weeks’ notice (4 weeks if you are requesting audio or video materials or would like to schedule a class visit).
Visitors will need to provide a prioritized list of the materials they would like to research as part of the scheduling process. See the catalog links above to create a request list. Contact us using the form below to determine availability.
The Rock Hall documents Northeast Ohio rock music history through NEO Sound, with collections that focus on Northeast Ohio music, musicians, radio stations, record labels, recording studios, music venues, concert promoters, booking agencies and music publishers. To browse our NEO Sound collections, click below.
Ideal for: local teachers, parents, students, scholars
Library & Archives staff has curated over 150 Research Guides on inductees, nominees, record labels, Rock Hall exhibits, and other focused subjects such as Riot Grrrl and Protest Music. These guides – created to serve as a starting point on your research journey – contain links to archival materials, books, commercial audiovisual materials, articles, videos, playlists, and more.
Ideal for: teachers, parents, students
The Library & Archives is located approximately two miles southeast of the Museum at 2809 Woodland Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio, sharing a building with the Gill & Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C).