African-American Research Library and Cultural CenterThe mission of the Special Collections is to collect, preserve and provide access to research materials focusing on the history and culture of people of African, African-American and Caribbean descent. The Special Collections houses over one million items, including rare books, artifacts, artwork, manuscripts, and reference materials. The majority of the holdings are secured in a humidity and temperature-controlled storage area. The librarian on duty in the reading room provides reference services and retrieves materials for customers. The ephemera and manuscripts consist of well over one million items. Included are calendars, broadsides, posters, postcards, game kits, obituaries, vertical files, sheet music and collectable stamps. While English is the predominant language, there are works in French, Spanish, Haitian Creole and Portuguese. The manuscripts focus on the papers and records of individuals and some national or international organizations. The audio and visual materials are comprised of more than 5,500 videocassettes, audiocassettes, DVDs, CDs and record albums. Rare recordings of cultural programs conducted at the Collier City Library and the Mizell Library are included
This collection contains African, African-American, Caribbean and South American publications. Included are several short-run Black newspapers and newsletters dating back to the early 1800s. The artwork and artifacts collection consists largely of African masks and sculptures, Haitian and Jamaican paintings, and an assortment of art pieces and graphic prints from African-American artists. The collection also contains a significant poster collection, historical prints, illustrations, cloth art, ivory, bronze and wooden carved objects, and African and Afro-Cuban musical instruments.
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