The George Edmund Haynes Memorial Collection is a reference collection of books by and about people of African descent. The initial presentation of books to the Library for this collection took place in December 1961 by The George Edmund Haynes Men's Club of Mount Vernon. Collection development has continued with contributions from local donors and the annual African American Book Fair held in January.

George Edmund Haynes was a sociologist, author, educator, co-founder of the National Urban League and a resident of Mount Vernon for the last five years of his life. He was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, May 11, 1880. He graduated from Fisk University (Nashville, Tenn.) with a B.A. in 1903; received an M.A, from Yale University, 1904; was the first African American graduate in 1910, of the New York School of Social Work (then the School of Philanthropy); and in 1912 was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. at Columbia University.