Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History
🏢 Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System · Atlanta, Georgia
Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History
Standing on Sweet Auburn — the historic commercial and cultural corridor that nurtured Martin Luther King Jr. and Atlanta's Black business elite — the Auburn Avenue Research Library opened May 14, 1994, as the first public library in the Southeast dedicated to African American culture and history. Its four-story red-brick and black-granite building was expanded in a $20 million renovation completed in 2016 to 106,500 square feet.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–6pm |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–6pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 101 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 613-4001
Website: fulcolibrary.org
Plus Code: 865QQJ48+4C (Atlanta, GA)
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📖 About Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History
The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History grew from the Auburn Branch of Atlanta's Carnegie Library system, which opened in 1921 as the city's first public library branch serving African American patrons. That branch's core collection became the seed of the Research Library when AFPLS dedicated a purpose-built facility on the same Sweet Auburn corridor in 1994 — making it only the second public library in the United States focused exclusively on Black history and culture, and the first in the Southeast. Designed by Perkins and Will, the original building cost $10 million and opened to national recognition, receiving a Governor's Award in the Humanities in 2001. A $20 million renovation expanded the building to 106,500 square feet and it reopened in 2016. Its non-circulating reference and archives divisions hold the Andrew J. Young Papers, Atlanta Life Insurance Company records, rare books, photographs, sound recordings, microforms, and moving images documenting African American history from antebellum times to the present. The programming division hosts film screenings, lectures, seminars, exhibitions, and author events in its gallery and auditorium spaces.
⭐ What makes this library special
- First public library in the Southeast dedicated to African American culture and history, opened 1994 in the Sweet Auburn Historic District
- Grew from the Auburn Branch of the 1921 Carnegie Library system — the city's first library branch for African American patrons
- 106,500 square feet after a $20 million Perkins & Will renovation completed in 2016
- Non-circulating archives with the Andrew J. Young Papers, Atlanta Life Insurance records, rare books, photographs and sound recordings
- Gallery, auditorium and research reading room hosting rotating exhibits, film series, lectures and seminars
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
AFPLS cardholders can research and download through Georgia's statewide and system digital collections:
📚 Services
- Non-circulating reference collection on African American culture and history
- Archives reading room with textual documents, photographs, sound recordings and moving images
- Gallery and auditorium for rotating exhibitions and public programs
- Research assistance via in-person, email, mail and telephone
- Computer access, free Wi-Fi & printing
- Interlibrary access through the AFPLS system
🎸 Programs
- From Pages to Popcorn — monthly film series from Black-authored books (2nd Monday, 5–7:30pm)
- Find it Fridays — monthly research instruction sessions via Zoom (3rd Friday, noon)
- Let's Talk About It — quarterly Pan African documentary series (4th Monday, 5–7:30pm)
- Rotating gallery exhibitions on African American history and culture
- Lectures, seminars, author talks and workshops
- Book discussion groups and reading programs
📍 Nearby Libraries in Atlanta
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the Auburn Avenue Research Library different from a regular public library branch?
It is a specialized research library rather than a circulating branch. Its reference and archives divisions hold non-circulating materials — rare books, manuscripts, photographs, sound recordings, microforms, and moving images — dedicated exclusively to African American culture and history. Researchers access the archives reading room on-site, while a programming division hosts exhibitions, film screenings, lectures and seminars in the gallery and auditorium.
Why was the library built on Auburn Avenue specifically?
Auburn Avenue — nicknamed "Sweet Auburn" — was the commercial and cultural heart of Atlanta's African American community for much of the 20th century. It is where Martin Luther King Jr. was born and where Atlanta Life Insurance Company and other Black-owned businesses anchored the community. The Carnegie Library's Auburn Branch opened there in 1921 as the city's first public library for African Americans; the 1994 Research Library was deliberately sited on the same corridor to honor that legacy.
What archives does the Auburn Avenue Research Library hold?
Major holdings include the Andrew J. Young Papers, the Atlanta Life Insurance Company Records, the National Conclave of Grady Graduate Nurses Collection, and the Samuel W. Williams Collection on Black America. The archives also hold photographs, oral histories, rare books, microfilm newspapers, and audiovisual materials documenting African American life from the antebellum era to the present.
Is the Auburn Avenue Research Library part of the Fulton County Library System, and can I use my card there?
Yes — the Auburn Avenue Research Library is a branch of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System (AFPLS). A valid AFPLS card grants access to the research databases, digital collections (Libby, hoopla, Kanopy, GALILEO) and on-site computer access. The reference and archival materials are non-circulating, but cardholders are welcome to use them in the on-site reading room.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.