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Exploring Library
The A. Bartlett Giamatti Research Center at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum contains more than three million documents related to baseball history. This collection includes books, magazines, scholarly journals, player files, photo files, programs, media guides, ephemera, and various formats of recorded media.
The research center is located inside the museum and is open to the public. Library patrons need to purchase an admissions ticket to the museum, show a lifetime donor pass, or join the Hall of Fame Membership program.
Those who wish to conduct research in the library are strongly encouraged to make an appointment in advance of their visit. Please contact the Reference Desk by calling 607-547-0330 or send an email to research [at] baseballhall [dot] org.
The library is a closed stack collection, so researchers should also provide an advance list of material they wish to review. This will allow the staff time to pull the material so that it is waiting upon arrival. Information regarding material available to researchers may be found via our online public access library catalog ABNER. Researchers may search for material using author, title, subject and keyword searches. Advance requests for materials should include call number, location and title. Request for player files should be organized in alphabetical order.
Operating hours for the Giamatti Center are:
March through October: Monday – Friday from 9:00am until 5:00pm
November through February: Wednesday – Friday from 9:00am until 5:00pm
The Giamatti Center is also closed on these holidays:
New Years Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day (and Friday after Thanksgiving)
December 24th through January 1st
Special event closures include:
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during the week of the annual Cooperstown Symposium
Friday through Monday of Hall of Fame Induction Weekend
The Giamatti Center may be closed for other special events and programs, so please contact the Reference Desk in advance of your visit.
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Hall of Famer Search
This Day in Baseball History
On February 4, 1976, a federal judge upholds a recent decision by arbitrator Peter Seitz, who had granted free agency to pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally. Both players had challenged baseball’s reserve clause. Messersmith will sign a free agent contract with the Atlanta Braves, while McNally will decide to retire.