449 Auburn Avenue, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30312
KING LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES (KLA) was established with a mission to “promote the appropriate application of archival principles in the preservation, processing, arrangement and description of materials relevant to the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the modern civil rights movement.” 1 The KLA serves to promote research and study; acquire and preserve collections; and disseminate information on MLK and the CRM. KLA houses a vast collection of records and artifacts documenting the life and work of MLK, CSK, the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement (CRM) spanning the years 1956-1970, and the King Center itself. This historic collection serves as a vital primary resource on a crucial period in American history.
The King Library and Archives in Atlanta is the largest repository of primary source materials on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the American Civil Rights Movement in the world. The collection consists of the papers of Dr. King and those of the organization he co-founded, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, as well as the records of 8 major civil rights organizations and of several individuals active in the Movement. The archives also include more than 200 oral history interviews with Dr. King’s teachers, friends, family and civil rights associates.