Help
What is this site?
This is the public catalog for the Video Game History Foundation Library.
The Video Game History Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and teaching the history of video games. This library is our way of sharing our collections of rare video game history materials. We are funded by donations from gaming enthusiasts like you to keep this library running.
Our library is in early access, which lets us share our collections with you while we're continuing to develop our platform. Expect updates here in the future!
Is this everything you have?
Nope! The library catalog currently only includes collections we've cataloged and are available to the public. We are actively working to catalog as many of our collections as possible, and more materials will be coming to the library in the future. For an ongoing list of collections we haven't cataloged yet, see Unprocessed Materials.
Do you actually have everything here?
Yes! Every item listed in this library is held by the Video Game History Foundation, or if we do not own a physical copy, VGHF has received permission from a donor to share a digital copy of their material. We have documented the sources of these materials whenever possible.
Can I play games in this archive?
No, for now. With limited exceptions, the Video Game History Foundation does not collect retail video games and does not plan to provide them to researchers.
Additionally, restrictions in United States copyright law currently prevent VGHF from sharing digital access to out-of-print video games with researchers. We are fighting to change this law in coordination with the software preservation community.
Why isn't [a specific item] available digitally?
Processing materials takes time. Our long-term goal is to make as much of our library digitally accessible as possible, but that's going to take a while. We plan to roll out additional material as our resources and labor allow.
There are some materials in our library that may never be digitally accessible. We only share items that we own and can digitize, and we have also do not share items that can be digitally purchased, such as specific issues of magazines. This catalog includes notes about alternate ways to access magazines when they are available.
Some items may not be available due to intellectual property issues, or at the request of the rightsholder or donor. In these cases, we may be able to provide limited access to researchers on a case-by-case basis (see "How do I access restricted and raw digital materials?").
Can I use your items in my video, book, blog post, etc.?
Maybe! Unless stated otherwise, VGHF does not own the intellectual property of materials in our library and cannot give express permission to reproduce them. But you may still be able to use these materials as fair use! Check out the fair use best practice guides from the Center for Media & Social Impact to learn about your rights.
For some special collections and developer materials, we may have permission from the donor to let you reproduce materials for research purposes. Check the "Conditions Governing Use" notes on each collection for information about what you can and can't do with them.
How do I access restricted materials?
Access to restricted materials for private, individual research is approved by VGHF on a case-by-case basis.
In anticipation of launching the VGHF Library, the "Request" feature has been temporarily disabled. If immediate access to restricted materials is necessary, please contact us for requests. We may be slow to respond during the initial launch of the library due to high demand.
We are not able to fulfill all requests and may choose not to provide access to restricted materials for any reason.
Can I request access to an unprocessed collection before it's available?
Although we plan to eventually process all of our materials, we may be able to processing a specific colllection as a paid service. Please contact us with inquiries.
Can I visit the library in person?
In-person research at the library is by appointment only. Due to limited space and staffing, we encourage researchers to use our digital materials first if possible. If an in-person visit is necessary, please contact us in advance to arrange an appointment. We may also be able to provide alternatives to visiting on-site.
I'm searching for something I know you have, but it's not showing up.
This catalog only includes metadata about VGHF's collections, such as titles, dates, creator names, and subjects. To search the full text of our digital collections, visit our Digital Archive portal.
What magazines do you still need?
Each magazine in our database has a "Holdings" section with a list of known missing issues, if there are any. We also keep a running list of missing issues for all magazines, available here. If you don’t see it listed here, we may have a complete run, or we may not have it at all.
VGHF accepts any video game magazine donations, even if it's something we already have. Your donated magazines help us fund the purchase of other rare issues! Read more about our magazine donation program.
I think there is a mistake in your catalog.
Whoops! Please email us and we'll look into it.
I’d like to contribute my materials to the archive.
Great! Get in touch with us and we’re happy to talk with you.