Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

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.

Governor Kathy Hochul commits $8 million for upgrades to the Schomburg Center.

To learn about the Center’s research divisions, schedule an appointment, or find out about other services, see our resources for researchers. Please note: Division hours may vary.

Explore our exhibitions Been Seen and Boundless: 10 Years of Seeding Black Comic Futures. Both are open 10 AM—5:30 PM, Monday to Saturday. Plus, see our outdoor banner exhibition, We Were Beautiful Then, Too: Late 19th Century African American Cabinet Cards at St. Nicholas Park in Harlem. 

Visit the Schomburg Shop to see clothing, jewelry, and books for all ages created by Black and Brown artists. It's open Tuesday to Saturday 11 AM—5:45 PM.

Though there are no guided tours at this time, we are working diligently to restore this key service to visitors in summer 2022. Please continue to check this page and the Schomburg Tours page for updates and more information.

Masks are strongly recommended in the Schomburg Center and all NYPL locations. 

Learn more about our new finding aid highlighting one of Harlem’s most fashionable addresses! Located in the area known as Sugar Hill, residents of 409 Edgecombe Avenue included: NAACP executive secretary Walter White, artist Aaron Douglas, high society names such as Ruth, Carroll, and Annette Boyd, and “the world’s greatest medium” William Anthony George. Explore handwritten letters, personal photos, and newspaper accounts, offering an in-depth look at their lives. Materials span the early to the mid-20th century. Learn more. 

Professors Tiya Miles (Harvard University), Olivette Otele (University of Bristol), and Joshua D. Rothman (University of Alabama) have all been named as finalists for the 2022 Harriet Tubman Prize granted by the Center’s Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery. The prize honors the best nonfiction book on the slave trade, slavery, and anti-slavery in the Atlantic World published in the U.S. during the previous year. The winner will be announced in November. Learn more.

The online application is available for the 2022-23 class of the Schomburg Center Junior Scholars Program. Our pre-college Black studies program for students ages 11–18 provides college-style lectures and presentations, conversations with celebrated scholars and instructors, offers guided peer group discussions, and explorations into the wealth of collections at the Center. The deadline is Saturday, September 10. Learn more.

Junior Scholars from our 2021-22 class created the multimedia project, Lift Every Voice. It reflected their yearlong studies of the Center’s collections. Learn more.