The Society's primary work is the creation and support of a comprehensive collection of Beethoven materials at the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies, which is housed at the San Jose State University, San Jose, California.
It was the first center built in the western hemisphere that was dedicated to Beethoven.
The collection contains over 31,000 items, including first and early editions of Beethoven's musical scores, some original Beethoven manuscripts, Beethoven-related books, sculpture and artwork, sound and visual media, and Beethoven relia.
[1] Ira F. Brilliant was a lifelong lover of Beethoven's music and started collecting early manuscripts and first editions in 1970.
He started to collaborate with the College of Humanities and the Arts at San Jose State University.