Originally located in a small storefront building in the heart of the black business community, the Richard B. Harrison Library first opened in 1935 with a collection of 890 books. Under the leadership of Mrs. Mollie Huston Lee, the library’s founder and first African-American librarian in Wake County, and with strong community support, the library grew, forcing it to move twice before settling into their current location when they merged with the Wake County Public Library System. The library was completely renovated in 1989. The Mollie Huston Lee Collection is a major draw for researchers and those interested in African-American History, with more than 8,000 volumes composed of both adult and juvenile fiction and non-fiction, serials, pamphlets, and vertical file materials.