26 September 2025 - The Olympic Studies Centre (OSC) welcomes the International Olympic Academy (IOA) as the latest partner of the Olympic World Library (OWL) Network, marking a significant milestone in advancing access to Olympic knowledge and promoting education and research.
Dedicated to preserving and disseminating the principles of Olympism through immersive sessions and programmes, the IOA combines historical symbolism with experiential learning. Every year it hosts thousands of students, scholars, athletes, educators and members of the Olympic Movement from around the world at its state-of-the-art facilities, just footsteps away from the archaeological site of ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games.
Through its integration into the OWL Network, the IOA’s vast library of over 16,000 titles and hundreds of digital resources, including IOA session proceedings, the series of IOA journals, and historical and pedagogical works on the ancient Olympic Games, Olympism and Olympic education in English, French and Greek, will be organised and made accessible via a dedicated portal and connect readers seamlessly to the collections of all partners.
These materials complement the OSC’s existing collection of over 42,000 publications and 15,000 digital documents, which includes reports and publications of the IOC and the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games, as well as academic books, articles and journals on all Olympic themes.
The IOA President, Professor Charilaos Tsolakis, said: “We are proud to be part of the Olympic World Library Network, and we extend our sincere thanks to the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage for its support. We look forward to getting the full collection accessible over the coming months and making our valuable library a place of discovery and learning, on site and online.”
By extending the Olympic World Library to our partners, the Olympic Studies Centre, as a centre of reference for Olympic knowledge, is amplifying the collective impact we can achieve in making Olympism more widely understood and accessible. The integration of the International Olympic Academy’s library is a meaningful step towards our shared mission to facilitate and foster Olympic education and studies.
Angelita Teo
Director of the IOC’s Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage
“Joining the Olympic World Library represents an important step for the International Olympic Academy. It ensures global access to decades of educational IOA materials and reinforces our commitment to promoting the Olympic values through education, dialogue and research,” said Dr Makis Asimakopoulos, Director of the International Olympic Academy.
“We are thrilled to welcome the International Olympic Academy to the Olympic World Library Network. Its unique collection will greatly enrich the resources available to researchers, students and the Olympic community worldwide,” added Maria Bogner, Head of the Olympic Studies Centre.
Expanding the OWL Network
The OWL Network was launched by the OSC to bring together Olympic libraries and collections from around the world into a single, collaborative platform and meta-catalogue for Olympic knowledge and literature. The IOA becomes one of the first institutions to join this initiative, alongside the Spanish and Moroccan National Olympic Committees.
Through this partnership, the IOC reaffirms its commitment to preserving and promoting the heritage, values and educational legacy of the Olympic Movement.
