Reference centre for the publications of the Olympic Movement
At the service of the IOC Administration, the members of the Olympic Movement and the general public, the Library is:
- a study and information library with collections and services open to a broad public
- a conservation library, responsible for the constitution, organisation and evaluation of the patrimony and Olympic encyclopaedic heritage
- a scientific library with poles of excellence, for example its special Sports Medicine collection, developed and maintained in collaboration with the IOC Medical Commission.
The IOC Library collection is composed of the official Olympic Movement publications, as well as a large collection on the Olympic and sporting phenomenon, related to:
- the IOC and the Olympic Movement
- the ancient and modern Olympic Games
- Olympic sports and those recognised by the IOC
- subjects linked to the Games: legal aspects, the environment, finance, marketing, health, security, management, etc.).
The Library offers more than 23,000 monographs, a selection of 420 journals and electronic resources (CD-ROMs, DVDs, databases and electronic journals).
The official Olympic Movement collections include a complete collection of the Olympic Charter, the Olympic Review, candidature files for the Olympic Games, the official reports on the Olympic Games and the works of Baron Pierre de Coubertin.
The IOC Library also has a rare books collection of works which show the importance of sport in society and its evolution over time.
The IOC Library is a member of RERO, the network of libraries in French-speaking Switzerland. Its collections catalogue is linked to this online database, which brings together two million titles and covers more than 100 libraries (university, cantonal and specialised libraries).
The bibliographies cover books, journals, theses and electronic resources on the main themes of the Olympic Movement. These documents help to publicise the collections and respond to the needs of the public. All the references listed are accessible at the IOC Library.
Each month, the Library publishes a list of its new acquisitions classified by theme.
The Olympic Charter is the codification of the Fundamental Principles, Rules and Bye-laws adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Published for the first time in 1908, new editions of the Charter appear according to modifications made during IOC Sessions (over the last few decades, a new edition has appeared more or less on a yearly basis). The Charter is produced in French, English and Spanish (since the 1980s).
The Olympic Review has been the official publication of Olympic Movement since the creation of the IOC in 1894 (synthesis of the activities of the IOC and the Olympic Family).
First published under the title "Bulletin du Comité International Olympique", the Olympic Review will be published on a quarterly basis since 2003. It has been published in French, English and Spanish since 1973.
The Official Reports of the Olympic Games are the syntheses of the organisation, staging and results of the Olympic Games. They are published by the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games.
Alphabetical list of the electronic journals available at the Library. In most cases, the full text is accessible using IOC computers only.
Alphabetical list of the electronic journals available at the Library. In most cases, the full text is accessible using IOC computers only.
List of web sites specialising in sport, directly accessible via the internet and selected by the IOC Library.
The Library, located on level -1 of the Museum, has unrestricted access.
A loan and reference service is provided during the library opening hours.
Documents may be borrowed by any person domiciled in Switzerland. Registration is free, and six works at a time may be borrowed for up to one month. Document loans may be extended twice.
The IOC Library provides its users with an inter-library loan service (book orders, photocopies of articles). Full practical details (conditions, rates, times, etc.) can be found in the inter-library loans regulations for users.
The IOC Library also offers a national and international loans service. This is exclusively for libraries, documentation centres and Olympic family institutions. Full practical details (conditions, rates, times, etc.) can be found in the inter-library loans regulations for users.
Workstations and a fully equipped study room with three PCs are available for research in the Library. Access to the study room is on a reservation basis.

Come to the Olympic Museum for exhibitions, lectures, concerts, etc.
Find answers to your questions!