South Side Library Features Treasure Trove Of African American History

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A treasure trove of African American history and Chicago history can be found at one public library on the South Side.

CBS's Jim Williams reports the collection is the result of a visionary who started her work in the early 20th century.

Curator Bob Miller handles the manuscript of famed writer Richard Wright with the care of a surgeon.

It's but a small sample of the Vivian Harsh Collection, named for the first Black librarian at a Chicago Public Library. The collection is accessible at the Woodson Library at 95th and Halsted.

The collection reflects Harsh's original mission.

"She was a person who went and sought African American history to preserve it and provide that access to the community," said Rodney Freeman, director for the Woodson Library.

What Harsh started has grown to 70,000 books, microfilm and countless rare photographs, the second largest public library archive of African American history and literature in the country.

Miller says it was able to grow because, "The community is very generous."

Historians, journalists and artists donated their personal papers, hoping the story of Black Americans could be studied under one roof.

"All of this shows the importance of Chicago's Black history because it affected the rest of the country," said Miller.

Vivian Harsh died in 1960. She would certainly be proud of how the collection has grown in 55 years.

It is free, open to all seven days a week, though you do have to make an appointment to see some items.