The Amistad Research Center makes available to researchers over 600 manuscript collections and over 20,000 books, documenting the rich history of African Americans and other ethnic groups. Within these collections, the public will find a range of primary documents such as family photographs, personal letters, oral histories, organizational records and more. Because these documents are unique and require special care, it is important that researchers become familiar with our Research Guidelines, which provide tips on how to handle books and archival material.

The Archives and Library staff are pleased to provide reference assistance both in person and from a distance. We cannot undertake research; however we will provide information on the scope and subject of our holdings. The time it takes to complete a reference request depends upon the volume and complexity of the requests we receive as well as the nature of each relevant collection. We answer requests in the order received, regardless of whether it is via telephone, fax, or e-mail. We strive to complete each request within 7 days.

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