The Stanford L. Warren Branch Library has a rich history as a key cultural institution in Durham’s African-American community. This web exhibit, “The History of the Stanford L. Warren Library,” is the story of the library, from its beginnings at White Rock Baptist Church to its evolution into a vibrant center of cultural activity to its present incarnation as part of the Durham County Library system.

Especially in its early years, Warren was more than a library to Durham's African-American community. It was a safe haven where blacks could gather to read, to learn, to meet one another and to discuss ideas. Its creation was a labor of love, and it has been sustained by the efforts of the community that it exists to serve.