The Olympic Studies Centre is located in the lowest level of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was created by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in order to preserve and disseminate information about the Olympic Movement, and to coordinate and promote research. The Centre contains a large library which is open to the public, as well as the IOC Historical Archives, parts of which can be examined by scholars with prior, written approval. The Olympic Studies Centre also conducts conferences and symposia to spread the message of Olympism. There are also several other Olympic Studies Centres at academic institutions world-wide, including at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada; and in Barcelona and Beijing.