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Music scholars will have a marvellous resource at their disposal towards the end of 2010 when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s libary and archives opens. Staffers are already hard at work at the facility, which occupies approximately one-third of the four-floor, 75,000-square-foot Center for Creative Arts on Cuyahoga Community College’s Metropolitan Campus, two miles away from the Rock Hall itself.

Tri-C President Jerry Sue Thornton, a Rock Hall trustee, told Cleveland.com:

“It’s extremely important to have the Rock Hall’s library and archives in Cleveland. In addition to providing unique educational opportunities for students at Tri-C and other colleges and universities, the library and archives will be a big draw for music scholars.”

The archives will hold personal papers, business documents, photographs, song manuscripts, posters and other items from leading figures in rock music. Visitors will be able to view material in a special reading room, under supervision, although in the case of very rare or valuable items, they might have to settle for digital scans.

The Rock Hall has increased its efforts to obtain important rock memorabilia in recent months. Andy Leach, director of the library and archives, wants the facility to be “the world’s preeminent research center for rock ‘n’ roll.” He believes that such materials are better placed here than at the Smithsonian Institute or another museum, because rock ‘n’ roll is the main focus at the facility. Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith Group and member of the Rock Hall’s nominating committee echoed this point:

“When I go to various libraries looking for rock-oriented material, it’s very haphazard. At most institutions, rock is regarded as some kind of a backwater. My hope is these archives will be a place where the music’s legacy is safely preserved.”

Kaye himself has made an important contribution to the archives, passing on a collection of live cassettes recorded in the ’70s and ’80s at CBGB, the landmark Manhattan club where the likes of Smith, the Dead Boys and Talking Heads used to play.

Buddy Holly’s high school diploma is in the Rock Hall’s archives

Among the rarities already in the Rock Hall archives are:

• Buddy Holly’s diploma from Lubbock Senior High School in Lubbock, Texas.
• Jimi Hendrix’s handwritten lyrics to “Purple Haze”
• Documentation from Alan Freed’s 1959 payola trial
• Jim Morrison’s death certificate, which lists the cause of death as “Unknown, pending Doctor’s statement”
• The passport of Joseph Vernon Turner, aka Big Joe Turner, the blues singer whose hits included “Shake, Rattle and Roll.”

Jimi Hendrix’s handwritten lyrics to “Purple Haze”

The facility is due to open in November or December 2010.

The 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction Ceremony will take place on March 15 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York City. This year’s inductees include ABBA, Genesis, Jimmy Cliff, The Hollies and The Stooges.