Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History |
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| Country | United States |
| Type | Special library |
| Established | 1994 |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia |
The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History is a special library in Atlanta, Georgia. It's part of the Atlanta–Fulton Public Library System. This library is located in Atlanta's historic Sweet Auburn neighborhood.
It was the first library in the Southeast to focus on African American culture and history. It also studies the history of other people of African descent. The library is very large, covering 50,000 square feet. It has areas for research, study, and reading. There are also public exhibit spaces.
The library is open to everyone. If you want to use special historical collections, it's a good idea to make an appointment. In 2001, the library won a Governor's Award in the Humanities. The library was closed for about two years for big renovations. It re-opened in 2016 after $20 million worth of improvements.
Contents
Library's Story
The Auburn Avenue Research Library opened in May 1994. Its main collection started at the Auburn Branch of the Carnegie Library of Atlanta. This branch opened in 1921. It was Atlanta's first public library for African Americans. Before this, African Americans could not use public libraries because of unfair laws. These laws were called Jim Crow laws.
From 1921 to 1959, the Auburn Avenue Research Library offered many educational programs. It also built its special "Negro History Collection." This collection grew to include magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals. They were all by, for, and about African Americans. Some examples are the Atlanta Daily World and Crisis.
The library closed in 1959. The Negro History Collection then moved to the West Hunter Branch. This new branch was built in 1949. It helped serve the growing number of African Americans in Atlanta's west side.
Collection Moves and New Name
The collection moved again in 1970. It went to where the Central Library is now. One year later, the collection got a new name. It was called the Samuel W. Williams Collection on Black America. This honored a famous Atlanta educator and thinker. The collection stayed at the main library until 1994. Then, it moved to the newly built Auburn Avenue Research Library.
After 15 years, the library needed more space. In 2008, voters in Fulton County approved a plan. This plan included money to make the library bigger and better.
Library Sections
The Samuel W. Williams Collection is a key part of the library's research section. This section has many types of records. These include text documents and microforms (tiny film copies of documents). It also has books you can't check out, but can use for research. Plus, there are many online research tools. All these help study African American culture and history. They also help study the African diaspora (people of African origin living outside Africa).
Archives Division
The Archives division keeps and shares special historical records. These records are mainly about African American culture and history. They focus a lot on Atlanta's local history. These are original documents, like old papers, maps, photos, and sound recordings. They also have art, artifacts, rare books, and textiles.
Program Division
The Program division helps the library's mission. It offers many public events. These include book discussions, readings, and exhibitions. They also have film screenings, lectures, and workshops. These programs cover local, national, and international topics. They help people learn about the library's amazing collections. They also reach out to the public and Atlanta's schools.
Library Collections
The Archives Division at the Auburn Avenue Research Library has several important collections:
- Art and Artifacts Collection: This collection has art and objects by and about people of African heritage. It includes works by famous African American artists. Some artists are Romare Bearden, Charles White, James Van Der Zee, and Ed Dwight.
- Archives and Manuscripts Collection: This collection focuses on the history, literature, and culture of people of African descent. It covers Atlanta, the Southeast, the U.S., and the world.
Other Special Collections
- Ephemeral Collection: This collection has many unique items. These include old calendars, postcards, posters, and sheet music. It also has slave documents, yearbooks, and old comic books.
- Moving Image and Recorded Sound Collection: This collection has videos and audio recordings. They show and explain African American experiences. These experiences are from Atlanta, Georgia, the Southeast, and the whole country.
- Oral History Collection: This collection works with the Moving Image and Recorded Sound Collection. It has recorded interviews with people. These interviews tell the stories of important cultural groups, individuals, and communities.
- Pamphlet Collection: This collection includes works published before 1865 in the United States. It also has first editions by African American authors before 1930. This includes works from the Harlem Renaissance.
- Photographs and Prints Collection: This collection has both documentary and fine art photos. They show the history and culture of people of African descent. They also show the work of photographers of African descent.
- Rare Periodical and Newspaper Collection: This collection mainly has African American newspapers and magazines. It includes articles, photos, and illustrations in bound books.
Digital Collections
In 2010, the Auburn Avenue Research Library worked with the Digital Library of Georgia. They worked together to make 11 archival collections available online. They received money to digitize old manuscript collections. These collections show how education for African Americans developed. This was mainly in the South, from the 1860s to the 1950s. These 11 collections are now available on the library's website.
The Reference and Research Division has print, digital, and microform collections. These include many Africana resources. They give full access to articles from scholarly journals. They also have popular African American magazines and international African journals.
The library's collection is especially strong in certain areas. These include the Southern Civil Rights Movement. Also, Southern African American Literature and History. It covers general African and African American History and Literature. There are also collections of current and historic African American journals and newspapers. The library has an Africana Children's Literature Collection. This includes all the Coretta Scott King Award winning children's books. Finally, it has Africana Cinema and Documentary Film Collections.
See Also
