dec08b.indd internet resources Karla Y. Davis African American cultural collections and museums Archiving and preserving Black history African American bibliophiles were perhaps the first individuals to be­ gin collecting materials related to black culture. Perhaps these individuals were interested in cataloging the achievements of their people, which were not often highlighted in the majority press or in their classrooms. As Sinette notes, “These pioneer black collectors existed in a society that not only denied their humanity but seemed skeptical about their ability to achieve.”1 Later, African American cultural collec­ tions moved to historically Black colleges and universities or to urban areas with large African American populations. Today, these collections are found throughout the country in libraries, museums, and other venues. This article profiles African American collections held at libraries, both public and academic, museums, and cultural or­ ganizations dedicated to preserving Black history. Public libraries • African­American Research Li­ brary and Cultural Center. Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this center serves scholars, students, and the general public. It contains more than 75,000 books, docu­ ments, artifacts, and related materials that focus on the experiences of people of Afri­ can descent. Access: http://www.broward. org/library/aarlcc.htm. • African American Special Col­ lection. This collection invites users to learn about the contributions of African Americans in Las Vegas. The Web site gives brief overviews of the special col­ lections housed in this branch of the library. Access: http://www.lvccld.org /library/special/afam/about.html. • Blair­Caldwell African American Research Library. The mission of the library is to serve as an educational and cultural resource for the people of Denver, and the world, focusing on the history, literature, art, music, religion, and politics of African Americans in Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountain West. Ac­ cess: http://aarl.denverlibrary.org. • E. Azalia Hackley Collection of Ne­ gro Music, Dance and Drama. The Hackley Collection resides in the main branch of the Detroit Public Library. The Web site details the types of materials available in the collection and methods for use. Access: http://www. detroit.lib.mi.us/hackley/hackley_index. htm. • Icabod Flewellen Collection. The East Cleveland Public Library has acquired this collection of printed materials, photographs, and videotapes. A finding aid and instructions for using the collection are available. Access: http://ecpl.lib.oh.us/Flewellen%20Files /Icabodfl ewellenhomepage.htm. • Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Widely considered the Karla Y. Davis is prospect research specialist at St. Olaf College Office of Advancement Services, e-mail: davisk@stolaf.edu © 2008 Karla Y. Davis December 2008 695 C&RL News mailto:davisk@stolaf.edu http://ecpl.lib.oh.us/Flewellen%20Files http://www http:http://aarl.denverlibrary.org http:http://www.lvccld.org http://www.broward premier collection of African American materials in this country, the Schomburg Center’s Web site details its collections, on­ line exhibits, and upcoming events. Access: http://www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html. • The Vivian G. Harsh Research Col­ lection of Afro­American History and Literature. The Harsh Collection is the largest African American history and litera­ ture collection in the Midwest. The collec­ tion’s strength is concentrated in African American history in Illinois. The site has a few finding aids, a collection of images, and a list of its microfi lm holdings. Access: http://www.chipublib.org/002branches/ woodson/wnharsh.html. Universities • African American Collection. The African American Collection supports the Africana Studies Department in its study, research, interpretation, and the dissemi­ nation of knowledge concerning African American, African, and Caribbean affairs and culture. The library houses mate­ rial on the African Americans, Africans, and Caribbean cultures in the following disciplines: Arts, Education, History, Lit­ erature, Philosophy, Politics, Religion, Sociology, Sports, and Religion. Ac­ cess: http://www.library.pitt.edu/libraries /african­american/african­american.html. • African American Collections at University of California Berkeley. This Web site lists a brief description of Berkeley’s African American Col­ lections. A bibliography for the mi­ crofilm holdings is available. Access: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/doemoff /afr_amer/collection.html. • African American Collections at University of California Santa Barbara Library. The African American collec­ tions at the University of California­Santa Barbara are part of the California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives. The Web site provides for diverse collections, such as the Bay Area Black Panthers Collection and the Blacks in Film and Television Collec­ tion. Access: http://cemaweb.library.ucsb. edu/listguides.html#african. • Afro­American Studies Collection. More than 100,000 volumes are contained in this collection. The holdings are scattered throughout many libraries. The collection development policy is online and lists the collection’s strengths and weaknesses. Ac­ cess: http://www.library.uiuc.edu/adminis­ tration/collections/collections/descriptions /afroamer_studies.htm. • Amistad Research Center. Amis­ tad Research Center boasts a beautifully decorated Web site with information on its recent acquisitions, current holdings, and status since Hurricane Katrina. The center’s photograph collection dates back to 1859, and it has quite an extensive collection of African and African American art. Access: http://www.amistadresearchcenter.org/. • Black Cultural Center Library. Purdue University’s only campus library that specializes in materials related to the historical and cultural aspects of the lives of African American people. The history of the library and its past programs are highlighted on the site. Access: http://www. purdue.edu/bcc/library. • Black Film Center/Archive. The Black Film Center/Archive was established more than 20 years ago and serves as a repository of films and related materials by and about African Americans. The Web site contains a great deal of helpful information about the collection, including booking information for their traveling exhibit of fi lm posters. Access: http://www.indiana. edu/~bfca. • Charles L. Blockson Afro­Ameri­ can Collection. This collection of more than 30,000 items has materials on the global black experience in all formats: books, manuscripts, sheet music, pam­ phlets, jour nals, newspapers, broad­ sides, posters, photographs, and rare ephemera. The collection’s rare books section is particularly strong in its fi rst editions. Access: http://library.temple.edu /collections/blockson/index.jsp?bhcp=1. C&RL News December 2008 696 http:http://library.temple.edu http://www.indiana http://www http:http://www.amistadresearchcenter.org http://www.library.uiuc.edu/adminis http://cemaweb.library.ucsb http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/doemoff http://www.library.pitt.edu/libraries http://www.chipublib.org/002branches http://www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html • Fisk University Library Special Col­ lections. The Special Collections housed in the Fisk University Library consist “mainly of primary and secondary materials on Afri­ can­American themes.” A limited number of finding aids are available and, at the writing of this article, the Web site was only ac­ cessible by using Internet Explorer. Access: http://www.fi sk.edu/page.asp?id=513. • John Henrik Clarke Africana Li­ brary. The holdings of the Africana Library number close to 20,000 and support the curriculum of study of Cornell’s Africana Studies department. The Web site details the history of the library and information about its namesake. Access: http://www. library.cornell.edu/africana/. • John Hope Franklin Collection of African and African­American Docu­ mentation. Named for the famous his­ torian, this collection is especially strong regarding 19th­century slavery and African American life in the post­World War II civil rights era. The comprehensive Web site of­ fers information on the collection and news and events. Access: http://scriptorium.lib. duke.edu/franklin/. • Margaret Walker Alexander Re­ search Center. The center is a cultural preservation research resource that houses significant records like the papers of the late author Margaret Walker Alexander. While no inventory of Alexander’s paper is visible on the Web site, photos of the center and some of its contents are available. Ac­ cess: http://www.jsums.edu/maw.htm. • M o o r l a n d ­ S p i n g a r n R e s e a r c h Center. The Moorland­Spingarn Research Center is consistently recognized as one of the most comprehensive institutions docu­ menting the history and culture of people of African descent in Africa, the Americas, and other parts of the world. The center’s history and the different components of its holdings are outlined on the Web site. Access: http://www.founders.howard.edu/ moorland­spingarn/default.htm. • Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History. The Stone Center Library contains a circulating col­ lection of materials dealing with the Afri­ can American experience, Africa, and the African Diaspora. The Web site includes a comprehensive guide to African American resources on the Web. Access: http://www. lib.unc.edu/stone/. • Xavier Archives. Xavier University’s Archives concentrates on four areas: the history of Xavier University of Louisiana, African­American history and culture, Ro­ man Catholicism in the United States, and the Southern United States and the Gulf­ Caribbean region, with special emphasis on the history of Louisiana and New Orleans. The Web site contains information about current unpublished collections, but no finding aids are listed online. Access: http:// www.xula.edu/library/archives. Museums • African­American Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa. The history of African Americans in Iowa is documented at this museum. The easy­to­navigate Web site profiles the mission of the museum and offers glimpses at current and future exhib­ its. Finding guides are also available online. Access: http://www.blackiowa.org. • Anacostia Community Museum. The museum explores American history, society, and creative expression from an African American perspective. Visitors to the Web site can explore the online diary of an early Washington, D.C.­area family and view online exhibits. Access: http:// anacostia.si.edu/. • Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. This museum is dedicated to the civil rights movement in Birmingham and beyond. The Web site allows visitors to view a collection guide and e­mail an archivist with research questions. Access: http://www.bcri.org. • Black American West Museum. The museum documents the history of black residents of the West. It is notable for own­ ing several lots in Dearfi eld, a former Afri­ can American settlement. The Web site links to events, donation opportunities, and links December 2008 697 C&RL News http:http://www.bcri.org http:anacostia.si.edu http:http://www.blackiowa.org www.xula.edu/library/archives http://www http:http://www.founders.howard.edu http://www.jsums.edu/maw.htm http://scriptorium.lib http://www http:http://www.fi to other resources. Access: http://www. blackamericanwestmuseum.com. • Black Archives of Mid­America. The Black Archives of Mid­America serves as a depository of artifacts documenting the African American experience in the four­ state area of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Oklahoma. The Web site details moments in Kansas City history, featured articles, recent additions, and most popular collection items. Access: http://www.blackarchives.org. • Idaho Black History Museum. The history of African Americans in Idaho is pre­ served at the Idaho Black History Museum. While the museum may have limited hours, the Web site maintains information about the permanent exhibit and upcoming events. Ac­ cess: http://www.ibhm.org. • Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History and Conference Center. This mu­ seum is located in the former home of Lucy Craft Laney, a prominent educator in Geor­ gia. The Web site contains information about current exhibits, permanent exhibitions, and photos of the garden on the grounds. Access: http://www.lucycraftlaneymuseum.com. Cultural organizations • Afro­American Historical and Ge­ nealogical Society. This group strives to support scholarship and serve as a network­ ing resource for those interested in African American genealogical research. The Web site contains an index to back issues of the jour­ nal it publishes, information about its annual conference, and contact information for local chapters. Access: http://www.aahgs.org. • Association of African­American Museums. This organization serves as a resource for museums and professionals who work in settings dedicated to preserving African American history. The association sponsors an annual conference. Its Web site provides information on grant opportunities, links to member museums, and exhibitions available for loan. Access: http://www.black­ museums.org. • Association for Black Culture Cen­ ters. Headquartered at North Carolina State University, this organization offers resources to those involved with black and multicul­ tural centers. Access: http://provost.ncsu.edu /oldsite/offi ces/diversity/abcc/. • Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Carter G. Wood­ son, founder of what is now known as Black History Month, created this organization. Its mission is to “promote, research, preserve, interpret, and disseminate information about Black life, history, and culture to the global community.” Access: http://www.asalh.org. • Black Heritage Society of Washing­ ton State. The Black Heritage Society of Washington State is dedicated to preserv­ ing and exhibiting the history of African Americans in Washington. Excerpts from oral histories are sprinkled throughout the Web site’s home page, drawing the visitor into group’s mission. Access: http://www. blackheritagewa.org. • Black Loyalist Heritage Society. “The Black Loyalist Heritage Society is committed to discovering, interpreting, safeguarding, and promoting the history and heritage of the Black Loyalists.” Access: http://www. blackloyalist.com. • British Columbia Black History Awareness Society. This organization aims to highlight the contributions that those of African descent have made to British Co­ lumbia and Canada. Access: http://www. islandnet.com/~bcbhas/. • National Council for Black Studies. For more than 30 years, the National Council for Black Studies has worked to promote the development of Black and Africana Studies as a respected academic discipline. The extensive Web site provides plenty of resources from funding opportunities to po­ sition announcements. Access: http://www. ncbsonline.org/home. Note 1. Elinor Des Verney Sinette, “Arthur Alfonso Schomburg (1874­1938), Black Bib­ liophile and Collector,” Black Bibliophiles and Collectors (Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press, 1990). C&RL News December 2008 698 http://www http://www http:blackloyalist.com http://www http:blackheritagewa.org http://www http:http://www.asalh.org http:http://provost.ncsu.edu http:museums.org http://www.black http:http://www.aahgs.org http:http://www.lucycraftlaneymuseum.com http:http://www.ibhm.org http:http://www.blackarchives.org http:blackamericanwestmuseum.com http://www