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The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, one of The New York Public Library’s renowned research libraries, is a world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.

As of Monday, November 16, the Library is temporarily suspending onsite research appointments as part of our efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19. Read more about the Library’s gradual reopening here. At this time, we are pleased to offer a range of ways to access the Library’s research services online through Scan & Deliver, other expanded research services, online research assistance, our Digital Collections, the Schomburg Shop, and more.

Researchers can also book a virtual consultation with a Library staff member to determine how their research needs can best be met remotely.

REQUEST A VIRTUAL CONSULTATION NOW

To learn about the Schomburg Center’s research divisions and further resources, visit the Research tab.

Find out about the Schomburg Center in the news.

Explore the Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List

Book covers from the Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List

For 95 years, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture has preserved, protected, and fostered a greater understanding of the Black experience through its collections, exhibitions, programs, and scholarship. In response to the uprisings across the globe demanding justice for Black lives, the Schomburg Center has created a Black Liberation Reading List. The titles on the list represent books we and the public turn to regularly as activists, students, archivists, and curators, with a particular focus on books by Black authors and those whose papers we steward.

 

In the Spotlight

  • Pandemic Diaries

    NYPL's Pandemic Diaries project invites you to submit, via an online form, audio recordings of yourself or your loved ones telling personal stories about life amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Red square with white text that reads: History Now

  • Scan & Deliver

    Get remote access to parts of our vast research collections—now expanded to include more items than ever. Learn more about what can be requested and how to get started.

    Orange square with text that reads: Scan & Deliver

  • Honoring the Life of Chadwick Boseman

    The Schomburg Center is remembering Chadwick Boseman, actor, playwright, and inspiration. Boseman had a long connection to the Schomburg Center based in Harlem, teaching acting to students in our Junior Scholars program from 2002 through 2009.

    Chadwick Boseman

Featured at the Schomburg Center

  • Public Programs

    The Schomburg Center advances knowledge of the global Black experience through dynamic programs and exhibitions.

    Two Black woman writers talk to each other.

  • Schomburg Exhibitions

    Check out current exhibitions, including online exhibitions, from the Schomburg Center.

    Historic photograph of three men near a motorcycle with superimposed text that reads: Traveling While Black A Century of Pleasure & Pain & Pilgrimage

  • Digital Schomburg

    Access exhibitions, podcasts, videos, books, images, and more about the global Black experience 24/7.

    Collage of photographs and artworks from the Schomburg Center's Digital Collections.

  • Schomburg Blog

    Check out blog posts from the expert librarians, staff, and fellows of the Schomburg Center.

    Detail from the front cover of Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life, 1925

  • Visit the Schomburg Shop

    Visit the Schomburg Shop and see a selection of books, clothing items, tote bags, mugs, and more created by Black and Brown artists for all ages.

    Image of a pink Schomburg tote bag.

  • Support the Schomburg Center

    Schomburg Society members receive discounts, invitations to exclusive events, and more!

    Photograph of the Schomburg Center's exterior facade

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About the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Interior view of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. As a research division of The New York Public Library, the Schomburg Center features diverse programming and collections spanning over 11 million items that illuminate the richness of global Black history, arts, and culture.

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