As we approach the 125th anniversary of FAMU's founding, the University Libraries have chosen 125 books, one from each of the years that the University has been in existence. All titles can be found in the Library’s collections, mainly the African American Collection, 403 Coleman Library. Some may be accessible from the Library’s online collections via the Internet and others are in the Heritage Collection, 412, Coleman library.
Books that chronicle events that were pivotal to the University’s history or African American history and literature were selected. Some were very controversial at the time of publication such as Richard Wright’s, Native Son and James Baldwin’s, The Fire Next Time. Some were selected based on popularity repeatedly appearing on best seller lists, such as Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Others were chosen based on their popularity with the faculty and students perennially appearing on class syllabi.
Special Collections is located in Rm.403 of Samuel H. Coleman Memorial Library. Special Collections operates in conjuction with the Heritage Room in Rm. A412. The Heritage Room is designed for research as it pertains to African American Studies and the history of FAMU.
Special Collections houses the African American Collection. However, resources in Special Collections cover the entire Library of Congress A-Z Classification System from an African American, African, and Caribbean perspective.
Above is the 1904 graduating class of Florida State Normal Industrial School now known as Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
