Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System holds several of the most complete collections of documents and artifacts detailing Atlanta’s rich heritage. The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African-American Culture and History offers specialized reference and archival collections for the study and research of African cultures—the first library of its kind in the Southeast. Central to the collection is the most complete compilation of photographs taken by African-American photographers in Atlanta from 1870 to the present.

The Margaret Mitchell Collection at Central Library contains, among other things, the typewriter on which Mitchell wrote Gone With the Wind, her Pulitzer Prize, many editions of the novel, and her library card. The collection was bequeathed to the library in 1952 by John Robert Marsh, Mitchell’s husband. Mitchell often visited the Carnegie Library, where Central Library now stands, while writing Gone With the Wind to research historical facts, such as the date hoop skirts became unfashionable.

This collection is in the process of receiving improved storage and exhibit conditions. Several librarians have had archival training. The library often works with the Georgia Department of Archives and History on preservation issues to ensure the health of these unique collections.