Atlanta Library Builds Tupac Archive

Afeni Shakur-Davis, mother of rap legend Tupac Shakur, has partnered with an Atlanta library to build an archive of Tupac's collected work. The collection, housed at Atlanta University Center's Robert W. Woodruff Library, will allow students access to Tupac's extensive musical catalog, writing, lyrics, written correspondences, videos and films.

"The Woodruff Library Archives has done a phenomenal job archiving my son's materials," Afeni Shakur-Davis said. "I thank their staff for partnering with my family and the Foundation in helping to make these important documents available in a professional manner that will benefit scholars for years to come."

'Pac's collection is in good company at the Woodruff library, joining their Martin Luther King Jr. Collection and Maynard Jackson Administrative Records.

"The Woodruff Library is honored to collaborate with the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation to preserve the artistic legacy of Tupac Shakur," announced Woodruff Library CEO and DirectorLoretta Parham. "Mr. Shakur was a multi-dimensional artist who helped define a musical genre, and as the academic library serving four institutions of higher learning, it is our mission, as well as a great privilege, to help promote scholarship and research of his work, and the mechanics of his creative process and the hip hop culture."

The Robert W. Woodruff Library was built in 1982 and is named in honor of Robert Woodruff, a former CEO of Coca Cola. It was created to facilitate the institutions of the Atlanta University Center; Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse, Spelman and the Interdenominational Theological Center.

The Tupac Shakur Collection is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2010. This past Sept. 13 marked the 13th anniversary of the Tupac's death. He was 25.