Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
🏢 The New York Public Library · Harlem, New York
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Founded in 1925 on a Harlem corner and renamed for Afro-Puerto Rican scholar Arturo Schomburg in 1940, the Schomburg Center is one of the world's foremost research institutions devoted to African, African American, and African Diaspora history and culture — housing more than 11 million items across five specialized divisions at 515 Malcolm X Boulevard.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 10am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–6pm |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037
Phone: (212) 491-2200
Website: nypl.org
Plus Code: 87G8R375+VJ (New York, NY)
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📖 About Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is a National Historic Landmark and research library within the New York Public Library, devoted to the collection, preservation, and exhibition of materials documenting the history, art, and culture of people of African descent worldwide. Its roots go back to 1905, when the NYPL opened the 135th Street Branch in Harlem; on May 8, 1925, librarian Ernestine Rose established a dedicated Division of Negro Literature, History and Prints within it. The following year, the library acquired the remarkable personal collection of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg — an Afro-Puerto Rican bibliophile who had spent decades proving that Black people had a rich, documented history — and in 1940 the center was renamed in his honor. Schomburg himself served as its first curator from 1932 until his death in 1938. A landmark 1991 expansion added the 340-seat Langston Hughes Auditorium and new exhibition galleries; a $22.3 million renovation was completed in 2017 and a further $8 million energy-and-safety upgrade followed in 2022. Today, under the direction of Joy L. Bivins (appointed 2021), the center's five research divisions hold over 11 million items — manuscripts, rare books, photographs, moving images, recorded sound, and artworks — spanning the 1600s to the present. In 2025 the Schomburg celebrated its centennial with year-long public programming, exhibitions, and its inaugural Jean Blackwell Hutson Award.
⭐ What makes this library special
- More than 11 million items across five specialized research divisions, including papers of James Baldwin, Malcolm X, Lorraine Hansberry, and Maya Angelou
- The Ernest D. Kaiser Index in the Hutson Reference Division — 179,000 citations to articles in thousands of issues of Black magazines and newspapers
- Named a National Historic Landmark in 2016–2017 and winner of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2015
- The 340-seat Langston Hughes Auditorium hosts free public lectures, film screenings, and cultural events year-round
- Scholars-in-Residence Program (established 1986) and Summer Institutes support in-depth academic research on the African Diaspora
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
NYPL cardholders access free digital collections through the library and New York State:
📚 Services
- Five specialized research divisions: Jean Blackwell Hutson Research & Reference, Manuscripts/Archives/Rare Books, Art & Artifacts, Photographs & Prints, Moving Image & Recorded Sound
- General reference access (Hutson Division) without appointment; other divisions require/recommend advance scheduling
- On-site exhibitions in purpose-built galleries (current exhibitions through 2026–2027)
- The Schomburg Shop (curated books and gifts, Tue–Sat)
- Space rental for events in the Langston Hughes Auditorium and gallery spaces
- Free public programs, lectures, film screenings, and community events
- Scholars-in-Residence Program and Summer Institutes for educators
🎸 Programs
- Centennial public programming series (2025)
- Black on Screen: A Century of Radical Visual Culture film series
- Conversations in Black Freedom Studies lecture series
- Jean Blackwell Hutson Award & Lecture (inaugural 2025)
- School field trips and guided group tours
- Junior Scholars Program for youth
- Traveling Exhibitions program
📍 Nearby Libraries in Harlem, Manhattan
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Arturo Schomburg, and why is the center named for him?
Arturo Alfonso Schomburg (1874–1938) was an Afro-Puerto Rican scholar and bibliophile who spent decades collecting books, manuscripts, and artworks documenting Black history worldwide — driven by a belief that the achievements of African peoples had been systematically ignored by mainstream historians. In 1926 the New York Public Library purchased his personal collection of nearly 3,000 volumes, 1,100 pamphlets, and hundreds of prints and manuscripts, and Schomburg went on to serve as the first curator of the collection from 1932 until his death in 1938. The institution was renamed in his honor in 1940 and today stewards over 11 million items in his spirit.
Do I need an appointment to use the Schomburg Center's reading rooms?
It depends on which division you wish to use. The Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division — the center's general reference room — is open to walk-in researchers during regular building hours (Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.) without an appointment. The other four divisions (Manuscripts/Archives/Rare Books, Art & Artifacts, Photographs & Prints, and Moving Image & Recorded Sound) require or strongly recommend scheduling an appointment in advance. Check the Schomburg research page at nypl.org/locations/schomburg/research or call (212) 491-2200 for division-specific details.
Is the Schomburg Center a public library, a museum, or an archive — and is it free?
The Schomburg Center is all three: a research library within the New York Public Library system, an archive holding primary documents, and a museum with rotating exhibitions and a permanent collection of artworks and artifacts. Admission to exhibitions and most public programs is free. Accessing the research collections requires a free NYPL library card (or a free researcher's pass for non-residents). The Langston Hughes Auditorium hosts free lectures and film screenings open to the general public.
What makes the Schomburg Center's building historically significant?
The Schomburg Center occupies two connected buildings: the original 1905 Italian Renaissance Palazzo-style branch library designed by McKim, Mead & White at 103 West 135th Street (one of several Carnegie-funded NYPL branches by the same firm), and a new building at 515 Malcolm X Boulevard completed in 1980 and joined to it by a connector. The combined complex was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016–2017 by the National Park Service. A 1991 expansion added the 340-seat Langston Hughes Auditorium and new exhibition galleries; a $22.3 million renovation finished in 2017 modernized the research facilities.
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