Scope and arrangement
The LP record collection consists of 7,991 and counting vinyl records. While primarily twelve-inch discs, this number also includes ten-inch records. The collection includes a breadth of musical styles, performances, and genres including blues, calypso, funk, folk music, gospel, hip hop, jazz, movie soundtracks, pop, R & B, reggae, salsa, soul, and theater productions; as well as spoken word, which includes speeches by historical figures, comedy, literature and poetry, and educational recordings. Distributed by major labels as well as through independent means, the collection captures sounds of Black culture across the African diaspora from the 1920s through the 2020s. The collection largely focuses on the United States, but also has significant holdings from the African continent, the Caribbean, and other parts of the world.
The collection is arranged alphabetically by performer name, then album title, followed by non-alphabetical characters, and compilations. Performer names are formatted according to Library of Congress Authorities when available. Compilations are arranged alphabetically by title.
The Schomburg Center LP record collection is arranged in twenty-eight series: