The Franklin Research Center is a repository focused on collecting primary sources documenting the history and culture of Africa and people of African descent in the Americas. Our collections are housed in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library and build upon the library's history of directly and indirectly acquiring materials that document the Black experience prior to the center's creation in 1995. All Franklin Research Center materials are included in the Duke University Libraries online catalog. Some collection materials have been digitized and is available in Duke Digital Collections.
Research guides
These research guides highlight the print, manuscript, and multimedia collections in the Franklin Research Center and broader Rubenstein Library holdings. These guides are representative of particular subject areas of strength but are not comprehensive listings of all our collections.
- African Manuscripts and Resources
- African American Manuscripts
- African Americans in Durham
- African Americans and Military Service
- African American Women
- African Americans and the Civil War History
- Black Voices: African American Autobiography and Biography
- Legacy of SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) Collections
