Multidisciplinary artist Solange Knowles this week unveiled the Saint Heron Digital Archive Library, a new platform for distributing and preserving rare, out-of-print, and first-edition works by Black and Brown authors, poets, and artists. She described the collection as “primarily rare” in an Instagram announcement.
The announcement went live Thursday evening, timed with the library’s official launch at 6 p.m. Eastern. Knowles captioned the post: “The [Saint Heron] digital archive library part I. Liiiive today … The Saint Heron Library is home to our archival collection of primarily rare, out of print, and 1st edition titles by Black & brown authors, poets, [and] artists.” She added, “As the market and demand for these books, zines, and catalogues rises, we would like to play a small part in creating free access to the expansive range of critical thought and expression by these great mindsss.”
A Library Built on Honor and Access
The Saint Heron archive is offered free of charge and operates on an honor-based system. It is currently open to U.S.-based residents only. Each user may reserve one book at a time, and requests are fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis. Books are shipped with complimentary return postage, and borrowers have 45 days to return them. If titles are lost or damaged, users will be charged the market value.
The collection features works by authors and thinkers such as Lucille Clifton, Audre Lorde, Ed Bullins, and Octavia Butler. Among the holdings are The Black Unicorn by Audre Lorde and An Ordinary Woman by Lucille Clifton. After just hours online, many items already appeared under “borrowed” status.
The new library builds on a seasonal community library launched in 2021 through Saint Heron and Guest Curator Rosa Duffy. That earlier effort offered a selection of rare works for a limited period. The current digital archive represents a more permanent infrastructure for access and preservation. Knowles has said that Part II of the library will roll out in the coming weeks, expanding the range of the archive.
For Knowles, the archive extends her long-standing mission through Saint Heron to uplift Black creative expression. In the Instagram post, she underscored the project’s ambition: “play a small part in creating free access to the expansive range of critical thought and expression by these great mindsss.”