New York Public Library

a Branch of the New York Public Library, 103 West 135th Street, which houses the Schomburg collection of four thousand books on the Negro;(New York City Guide pp 262)

In the 1930s, the New York Public Library's Harlem branch, known as the 135th Street Branch but today known as the Countee Library, was and still is a vital cultural and educational hub for the Harlem community. It was a central gathering place during the Harlem Renaissance, a period of not just cultural and artistic activity but intellectual activity among African Americans. The branch provided access to a wide range of books, periodicals, and resources it was very helpful in the movement of education and literacy of the residents of Harlem.

It is a two story building with a very plain but timeless look and painted white.
It was also home to the Division of Negro Literature, History, and Prints, which collected and preserved works by and about African Americans. This made the branch an important repository of African American culture and history. The library hosted lectures, readings, and exhibits, and it served as a meeting place for influential figures such as Langston Hughes, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Zora Neale Hurston.

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