The day-to-day scenery of Los Angeles has changed dramatically since March 19 when the statewide safe at home order was issued to combat the spread of COVID-19. Many of us began to navigate working from home, figuring out at-home schooling for students of all ages, and wondering what would happen next. With these stories in mind, many LA as Subject archive members have initiated collections of narrative materials relating to community experiences of the Coronavirus pandemic. Los Angeles is large and each of these members have put out a call for stories and materials documenting COVID-19 related experiences in their immediate communities. Calls have been put out via local news sites, member websites, blogs, and more.
The Autry Museum of the American West is requesting images of masks, shared recipes, stories and related histories from the Western region of America for their collection of the West During COVID-19. California State Library and the California Historical Society have both put out calls statewide for California COVID stories. The Los Angeles Public Library and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles' Seaver Center for Western History Research have put calls out to the greater Los Angeles community. The Lanterman House is focused on stories specifically from the Crescenta/Cañada Valley area of Los Angeles. Palos Verdes Public Library is collecting stories from the Peninsula area.
CSU Dominguez Hills and USC Special Collections and Archives have both put out calls to their campus communities as well as the surrounding areas. Cal State University, Northridge is focused on their campus community both personally and professionally. .
The Writers Guild Foundation has requested stories from their membership while the Columbia Memorial Space Center has requested stories from makers of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for healthcare workers.
You may find a full list of LA as Subject Archive Members collecting COVID including summaries of their individual collection efforts, including links to their individual websites detailing information about narrative requests, and submission forms here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C3P0tNJQz5vZLXE7CFgQAuBx5ZpkeB0z/view?usp=sharing
Please take a moment to explore and consider submitting your story. Also, if you or your organization are Collecting COVID and would like to be included on this list you may add yourself or email Stella Castillo at stellaca@usc.edu.
There will also be a Talk-Shop on June 25 at 2pm PST where we will be engaging in an active discussion on Collecting COVID. Please consider joining us. Information and RSVP here.