The "colored library" in Oxford, NC, was the Granville Street Colored Library, a segregated library for the African American community that operated from 1942 until 1975.
It was a central point for the African American community, providing access to books, hosting events, and even serving as a place for voter registration and civil rights organizing.

The library hosted numerous influential figures, including poet Langston Hughes who was a friend of Rev. G. C. and Frances Hawley, educator Mordecai Johnson, and historian John Hope Franklin.

Librarian Maude Warren Lassiter was the long-time director who played a key role in the library's success.
The library integrated with the broader Granville County Library System in 1965, eventually closing its branch in May 1975 and merging with the Richard H. Thornton Library.
The building was sold to the nearby First Baptist Church.
Today, a historic marker stands at 314 Granville Street to commemorate its significant history.

Photograph description: Mrs. Maude Lassiter, librarian, is seated at the desk. The two boys seated at the reading table are John Proter Cureton and Godfrey Maynor. Rev. C. A. Atkins is standing and the girl in the right of the photograph is Lettie Hamme Smith.
This library was located on Granville Street, Oxford, NC.

Photographer unknown

Photograph source: Collection of the G.C. and Frances Hawley Museum® - I Remember Our History®