About

Established in 1991, the Archives of African American Music and Culture (AAAMC) is a repository of materials covering a range of African American musical idioms and cultural expressions from the post-World War II era. Our collections highlight popular, religious, and classical music, with genres ranging from blues and gospel to R&B and contemporary hip hop. The AAAMC also houses extensive materials related to the documentation of Black radio.

The AAAMC supports the research of scholars, students, and the general public worldwide by providing access to holdings which include oral histories, photographs, musical and print manuscripts, audio and video recordings, educational broadcast programs, and the personal papers of individuals and organizations concerned with Black music. We also invite exploration of our collections and related topics through a variety of public events, print and online publications, and pedagogical resources. 

Address and Contact Info

Archives of African American Music and Culture
Indiana University
2805 E. Tenth St., Suite 180-181
Bloomington, IN 47408-4662
Phone: (812) 855-8547
Fax: (812) 856-0333
aaamc@indiana.edu

Map

Access

The AAAMC is open to the public. Appointments are strongly encouraged so the staff can prepare materials for research. Circulation of AAAMC collection materials is allowed on a limited basis and is restricted to IUB faculty and graduate teaching assistants. Learn more about online access to AAAMC collections on our online access page.

Hours and Closures

Fall and Spring semesters

Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Summer sessions (May 13-Aug. 1, 2014)

Monday - Friday: 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. and by appointment

Please note that the AAAMC may close or operate by appointment only during holidays and IU breaks.  See below for exceptions to our normal hours:

Closures

Labor Day: CLOSED
Thanksgiving Break: BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Winter Break: BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
MLK Day: CLOSED
Spring Break: BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
ARSC Conference (Early May): CLOSED
Memorial Day: CLOSED
Staff Vacations: BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
4th of July weekend: CLOSED

Parking

There is an Indiana University parking lot outside the AAAMC building with spots for "A," "C," and "ST" parking permits.

One-day visitor parking permits are available through the IU parking office. Visitor parking permits can be purchased at the Henderson Garage or at the Indiana Memorial Union. More information can be found on the IU visitor parking page.

There are several metered parking spots available for visitors arriving by car and without a visitor parking permit.

Transit

Bloomington Transit Route 6 Campus Shuttle and 6 Limited pick up and drop off on 10th Street near the AAAMC. A map and schedule can be found on the Bloomington Transit website.