Association for African American Historical Research and Preservation http://www.aaahrp.org
The Association actively identifies, preserves and disseminates historical and genealogical materials of interest to the African American community. Although it concentrates on Washington State history and community building, it works to place the local black experience within the larger national context. Membership is a combination of community activists, academic scholars, genealogists and all other interested parties.
Black Heritage Society of Washington State, Inc., http://www.bhcsbc.org
This non-profit society works to acquire, preserve and exhibit “materials relating to the history and culture of African Americans in the State of Washington." Its materials are stored at MOHAI (see below), with access by appointment.
British Columbia Archives http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/sn-29DBB5B/index.htm
A rich collection of materials including searchable visual images, moving images, archival papers and personal papers (some with online finding aids), national and provincial government publications, etc. pertaining to research on Black Canadians.
Idaho State Historical Society http://www.idahohistory.net The "African Americans of Southeast Idaho" oral history project is housed here.
Idaho State Library http://www.lili.or/sil/catalogs.htm Shares a catalog with Boise State University. Both institutions have unique African American holdings.
Idaho State University Library http://www.isu.edu/library/home.htm
ISU's Eli M.Oboler Library holds several unique, locally produced materials on African Americans in Idaho.
Multnomah County Library http://www.multcolib.org/
Serving the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, this library has built strong local holdings.
Museum of History and Industry http://www.seattlehistory.org/
MOHAI is dedicated to bringing local history alive---through exhibits, programs for schools and a high community profile. It works with closely with the African American community on preservation issues and geneaology research.
The National Archives and Records Administration Pacific Alaska Region Facility http://www.archives.gov/facilities/wa/seattle.html
Located at Sand Point, Seattle, Washington, NARA offers access to a wide range of primary sources collected under the auspices of the federal government. Special resources for genealogy and historical research such as a “digital classroom” of primary documents, historical photographs, and retired records from Federal courts and agencies in the PNW are just some of the resources available. Finding guides and Record Group indexes are online.
Oregon Historical Society http://www.ohs.org/collections/index.cfm
The Society has several special collections focusing on African Americans in Oregon, primarily in the Portland area, including a collection of oral histories, made between 1976 and 1981 and a historical photographs collection that is partially browseable on the web.
Oregon State Library http://www.osl.state.or.us/home/ OSL works in partnership with the Willamette Valley Geneaological Society, maintains ORUL (the Oregon Regional Union List of Serials) and offers other specialized services.
Seattle Public Library and the Douglass-Truth Branch
Library http://www.spl.org/
Seattle Public Library's Douglass-Truth Branch Library (23rd and Yesler) maintains several specialized African American collections, including both local and national materials. The pamphlet and clippings file is an especially rich source of information on local social clubs, associations and organizations.
Simon Fraser University http://www.lib.sfu.ca/
Unique holdings of locally produced theses
University of British Columbia Library http://www.library.ubc.ca/
Note: Subject headings differ in the Canadian system. Black Canadians and Black Canadians are the official subject headings.
University of Oregon Libraries http://libweb.uoregon.edu/
University of Oregon Library has a very strong Oregon State newspapers collection, local and state documents collection and holds a number of U of O theses on Pacific Northwest African Americans not found at other institutions.
University of Washington Libraries http://www.lib.washington.edu/
Consult "Using the University of Washington Libraries Catalog
to Find Primary Sources" http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/history/book.html
This aid to library research was developed and is assiduously
maintained by Theresa
Mudrock, the History Selector for the University of Washington
Libraries. Many good strategies for identifying primary sources
are offered on this page, and apply to African American research done in most research institutions.
Washington State Library http://www.statelib.wa.gov/
Washington State Library has begun a number of digital projects on early Washington exploration and history. It also has the largest collection of Washington State newspapers.
Washington State University Library http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/
See and listen to The Civil Rights Oral History project, 2001 at http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/finders/cg683.htm.
The Black Studies Program at WSU was active in publishing curriculum materials and study guides during the 1970’s and 1980’s. The Library holds some of this material. It also has several WSU theses on Pacific Northwest African Americans not widely held.
National Institutions
Amistad Research Center, Tulane University. http://www.tulane.edu/~amistad/
Holding over 10 million manuscript documents, the Amistad Research Center is one of the most important African American collections in the world. Digitization has begun with the project “American Missionary Association and the Promise of a Multicultural America, 1839-1954.”
The John Hope Franklin Collection of African and African-American Documentation http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/franklin/
Located at Duke University, this very rich special collection is beginning digitization projects and has completed several slave narratives.
Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture http://www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html
The preeminent research library for black studies and a division of the New York Public Library, the Schomberg collects, preserves and provides access to resources documenting the experiences of all peoples of African descent throughout the world, with a special emphasis on blacks in the Western hemisphere. See also below: Photograph Collections.