Today the Schomburg Center is a leading research institution for African-American studies in the United States. In 1926 his collection was purchased and given to the New York Public Library. The earlier section includes material back into the late nineteenth century. The clipping file is taken from newspapers and periodicals with representation from typescripts, broadsides, pamphlets, programs, book reviews, and other ephemera. Over one million pages are represented in this collection.
Coverage is broad.
Although the area of Black culture is emphasized, e.g. arts, music, dance, theater, etc., there is material on most areas of human endeavor. The File is also strong in international topics dealing with African-American history and culture. The collections are on microfiche located in the Microform Area. The arrangement is in alphabetical sequence by subject. There is a chronological arrangement within subjects.