The African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO) is a museum and non-circulating library within the Oakland Public Library system. It is at 659 14th St. in downtown Oakland and documents African American history and culture in Oakland, the Bay Area and California.
From a family collection to a city institution
In 1946, Eugene and Ruth Lasartemay and Jesse and Dr. Marcella Ford began collecting oral histories and artifacts about Black life in and around Oakland. On July 2, 1965, the group became the East Bay Negro Historical Society. It moved to a Grove Street storefront in 1970 and to 4519 Grove in 1976.
In 1982 the Oakland Public Library's Golden Gate Branch offered the society a home, making it the first Oakland city library with an African American-focused collection. The group became the Northern California Center for Afro-American History and Life in 1988. In 1994 it merged with the City of Oakland to create AAMLO.
In February 2002, AAMLO moved into its current home, the former Charles S. Greene Library, a 1902 Carnegie building. According to Wikipedia, the building served as Oakland's main library from 1902 to 1951 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
What's inside
The reference library holds about 12,000 volumes by or about African Americans, plus about 400 videos and DVDs to watch on site. Wikipedia lists more than 160 archival collections, including papers of Ron Dellums, Barbara Lee and cartoonist Morrie Turner, along with records of the Oakland Black Cowboy Association. AAMLO also runs a seed lending library, and its galleries host rotating exhibitions.
Plan your visit
- Hours: Monday through Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday, noon to 5:30 p.m.
- Self-guided visits: Drop in anytime during open hours. No reservation is needed.
- Group tours and archives: Group tours require an advance reservation; allow at least a week. Viewing an archival collection requires an appointment. You can make both through the Oakland Public Library website.