The African American Museum and Library was established in 1994 as a division of the Oakland Public Library. The Museum/Library is the result of a full endorsement of the community for a merger of the Museum with the Oakland Public Library, founded in 1878. In 1993, the City of Oakland received a California State Library grant to support the merger.

The African American Museum and Library at Oakland is dedicated to Discover, Preserve, Interpret and Share the Historical and Cultural Experiences of African Americans in Northern California for Present and Future Generations. The Museum/Library mounts exhibits and collaborates with local museums to produce major exhibits on African Americans. The Museum/Library contains original manuscripts, letters, diaries, memoirs, lectures, and other writings, over 10,000 photographic images depicting the story of early and present-day Black Californians, oral histories which include interviews with pioneers, local civil rights activists, writers, and musicians, and periodicals consisting of full and partial runs of early Black weeklies dating back as far as the 1890's, and has a non-circulating reference library of 30,000 titles. Informational programs, educational packets, and tours to schools are a few of the services offered.

The African American Museum and Library at Oakland's collections are in storage and the staff is currently working off-site. In the fall of 2001, the Museum/Library will relocate to the 17,500 square feet of stand-alone space at the three story Charles Greene Library, on the edge of Preservation Park.

A Division of the Oakland Public Library