Black Voices

The Cambridge Public Library seeks to amplify Black voices with a dedicated collection of vibrant works that speak to the Black experience. The Black Voices Collection will update the legacy Black Studies collection which has been housed at the Central Square Branch for many years. This new collection will offer the community the opportunity to engage with Black perspectives, including the intersectional Black experience. It will contain popular and contemporary works instead of the academic and research-focused works of its predecessor.

Library Staff will curate a selection of library materials that comprise works by Black authors, creators, artists, actors and characters. Exceptions may be made to include definitive or exceptional works by non-Black authors. Selected titles will meet the standards set by the Collection Development Policy and will consider the mission of branch libraries as a destination for popular materials of current interest. Patron suggestions are welcomed and encouraged via the Suggest A Purchase form. 

Black Voices will include titles for all ages, birth through adulthood, and will include a variety of genres including fiction, nonfiction, young adult, picture books and more. Formats will include print and audio-visual materials.

Items will be deaccessioned on a regular basis to ensure that the collection is right-sized and relevant. Materials will be continually added and removed to ensure that the Black Voices Collection contains fresh, new and exciting voices and titles on an ongoing basis.

Limited donations, including donations by local authors, will be considered under the existing donations policy.

Questions can be directed to library@cambridgema.gov