Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library - named for civil-rights leader Benjamin L. Hooks

The Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library is the main branch of the Memphis Public Library system and is named for Benjamin L. Hooks, a Memphis-born civil-rights leader who served as executive director of the NAACP from 1977 to 1992. Hooks was born in Memphis and later became a nationally prominent advocate for civil rights and public service. The library houses local history and genealogy collections documenting Memphis's social and civil-rights history. The central branch serves as a civic and cultural resource in the city.