MOLLIE HUSTON LEE COLLECTION
Started by the first black librarian in Wake County, the Lee Collection has grown to become
a special collection containing over 8,000 volumes on African Americans, composed of both
adult and juvenile fiction and nonfiction books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, and
vertical file materials by and about African Americans in Raleigh, Wake County, North
Carolina, and the United States. Copies of the Carolinian are
available in the original book form and on microform dating back to 1945. The vertical file
collection includes the Raleigh Historic Properties Commission's Oral History Collection of
transcripts and cassette tapes (Raleigh's Roots) documenting the lives
of African Americans in Raleigh communities. Interviews explore life in the communities,
describe boundaries, note community landmarks, and institutions. The publication Culture Town: Life in Raleigh's African-American Communities (book and
cassette) was a result of this project. The Lee vertical files are strong in local
biographies that may not be available elsewhere. The book collection is accessible through an
automated catalog.