An International Fund Raising Program

The Historical Society for the Preservation of the Underground Railroad and Anti-Slavery International would like to introduce The International Underground Railroad Library and its main source of funding, The Freedom Line, this line of Liberty- based products will be the major funding source for the library and its associated artistic, and educational facilities.

The not-for-profit division of The Freedom Line, offers other charitable organizations the opportunity to join this one of a kind fund-raiser. The benefit for not-for-profits would be this: when proof of current membership in participating not-for-profits is provided the buyer would receive the Abolitionist necklace and other selected items at a discounted price.

The Library will be located in Albany, New York and will open to the public on or before 2006. In the interim The Freedom Line will accomplish its goals using other facilities.

The mission of the library is to house every book ever written on the Underground Railroad, the Abolitionist movement, and the Early Women's rights movements. The Underground Railroad is said to have begun when the first human being was oppressed and desired to break free. The spirit of the Underground Railroad will continue until oppression ceases in all its forms throughout the world. Thus the Library will document this eternal struggle.

Our Director has made concerted efforts to follow the blue print laid out by our great abolitionist ancestors. When a majority of the country was going one way they chose to go in the opposite direction; approaching social problems with a zeal and creativity unheard of at that time. Perhaps it was because they represented one of America's first political movements that included men and women of many races and ethnicities, and from varying economic backgrounds. 

We hope the following description will give you the understanding that both truth and knowledge are to be housed within these Library walls. Picture in your mind a building comprised of Stucco, brick and mortar:

Upon entrance, one is welcomed by life size sculptures embodying the struggle for Freedom. The sculpture has been designed or copied and painstakingly created or recreated by the students.

To the Right is the children's reading room. 

Here the layout is designed to invest with new life a young person's interest in reading these amazing depictions of heroism. This part of the library will diverge from the Dewey decimal system in favor of an interactive display that actually speaks to the young reader when they pick up a book. 

Children's Reading Room

To the left of the entrance will be the News Room. Inside the walls of this room one will find periodicals from all over the world. There will be a section devoted to dissident and other independent periodicals. These periodicals will illustrate where the Modern Day Underground Railroad, and Anti-Slavery International are fighting the current struggle against oppression and slavery. 

The Library proper has flooring stained a warm cherry-brown. Leather Queen Anne chairs in comfortable seating arrangements alternate with mazes of mahogany shelves that hold books published internationally, pertaining to the Underground Railroad, abolitionists and the early Women's right movement. Some of the books are shelved on a second level served by a six-foot wide catwalk that can be reached by an open staircase with an elaborate cherry railing. If you don't look up at the ceiling to help you define the true size of the enormous room, you might believe that it goes on forever. Anything seems possible here. The deep colors of the glass- crimson; emerald, burnt yellow- so completely filter natural light that even on a bright day the books are at no risk of sustaining sun damage. This artistically breathtaking stained glass holds inspiring depictions of Abolitionists and their noble struggles, which inspire the observer to gaze into the heavens.

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