515 Malcolm X Boulevard (135th St and Malcolm X Blvd)
New York, NY 10037
917-275-6975
Directions
Fully Accessible
Open today
10 AM–4 PM
Day Date Hours
Monday 12/16 10 AM–6 PM
Tuesday 12/17 10 AM–6 PM
Wednesday 12/18 10 AM–6 PM
Thursday 12/19 10 AM–6 PM
Friday 12/13 10 AM–4 PM
Saturday 12/14 10 AM–6 PM
Sunday 12/15 CLOSED

Visit the Schomburg Center

The front doors of the Schomburg Center. The words “Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture'' is written as a metal awning above the front doors.

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.

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 in-person exhibitions: Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art (through 12/19/24), JIMMY! God’s Black Revolutionary Mouth (through 2/28/25), and Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined (through 5/22/25). 

Visit the Schomburg Shop’s Holiday Market on December 20 and 21 from 11 AM—5:30 PM. Schomburg Shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 5:45 PM. They sell books, clothing, jewelry, and more created by Black and Brown artists for all ages.

The Schomburg-Mellon Humanities Summer Institute returns this summer 2025! The four-week fellowship program is open to rising college seniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The online application is open through Friday, March 28

Although there are no guided tours at this time, we are working diligently to restore this key service to visitors in spring 2025. Please continue to check this page and the Schomburg Tours page for updates and more information.

Please note: Due to new Library policy, e-bikes, e-scooters, and electronic transportation devices are not permitted inside any NYPL location. This does not apply to mobility aids.

2024 in Review | Most Viewed & Bestsellers

Against a blue background, the number 2024 is in green lettering. Below that line are the words In Review in white lettering.

The Top Threes of 2024
Take a look back at our most-viewed blogs, online research guides, and streamed programs of the year. Learn more.

Bestselling Books at the Schomburg Shop
Find out what new books have been popular this year and what older titles continue to prove appealing to readers at the Schomburg Shop. Learn more

Discover an All-New Curriculum Series Based on our Archives

Against a blue background, there are four covers of the curriculum featuring the titles: Race, Racism, and White Supremacy, Abolition as a Black-led Movement, The Black Panther Party in Harlem, and Aesthetics of Black Power.

Explore a multi-part curriculum series that introduces middle- and high-school students to Black history, experience, and culture through our archives and collections. Access four all-new curriculum guides featuring primary source documents and ready-to-use discussion questions—plus, stay tuned for even more guides and resources! Learn more

All-New Programs | Fall 2024

Against an orange background, the words Schomburg Center are listed on the top portion in white lettering.  The Schomburg Center logo is in white and next to the “r” in Center. The words Fall 2024 are listed on the lower portion of the page in white lettering.

See our Fall 2024 schedule. Learn more

In the Spotlight

Current Exhibitions

  • Nellie Mae Rowe: Something From Nothing

    Ongoing
    Online Only
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    Inspired by the premiere of a documentary film honoring the creative spirit of Nellie Mae Rowe, check out this curated selection of…

  • Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined

    Through May 22, 2025
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    Step into Letters from Home: The Black ABCs Reimagined, an extraordinary exhibition by the Schomburg Junior Scholars Program. 

  • JIMMY! God's Black Revolutionary Mouth

    Through February 28, 2025
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    Novelist, essayist, intellectual, and activist James Baldwin (1924–1987) is renowned as one of the world’s most influential and…

  • Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art

    Through December 19, 2024
    Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

    The first of its kind internationally, Code Switch: Distributing Blackness, Reprogramming Internet Art presented by The…

Events

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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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