Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a research unit of the New York Public Library, is generally recognized as one of the leading institutions of its kind in the world. The Center collects, preserves, and provides access to materials documenting Black life, and promotes the study and interpretation of the history and culture of peoples of African descent.

The Schomburg Center’s collections first won international acclaim in 1926 when the personal collection of the distinguished Black scholar and bibliophile Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was added to the Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints of the 135th Street Branch of The New York Public Library. Schomburg subsequently served as curator of the division from 1932 until his death in 1938. The division was renamed in his honor in 1940, and in 1972 it was designated as one of the Research Libraries of the New York Public Library.

The Center’s collections include art objects, audio and video tapes, books, manuscripts, motion picture films, newspapers, periodicals, photographs, prints, recorded music discs, and sheet music. [Description from Schomburg Center website.]

Visit the digital collection at Schomburg.