The Schomburg Collection is a large and important library dedicated to materials on Negro life and history, containing books, manuscripts, etchings, and pamphlets. It was founded by Arthur Alfonso Schomburg, a great American collector of Negro descent. The collection includes works by major and minor American Negro writers, as well as rare items such as textbooks from Liberia and African language grammars. The collection is used for research and public lectures on Negro studies, and is open daily for visitors.