The Boeckmann Center for Iberian and Latin American Studies was founded in 1985 with a donation of an 80,000 volume book collection related mainly to the study of Spain, Portugal and Latin America. However, this first donation also included books and pamphlets related to Alta and Baja California, the U.S. Hispanic Southwest, the U.S.-Mexico border region, and a small collection of early 20th…

The California Social Welfare Archives (CSWA) was organized in 1979 to collect materials that portray the development of social welfare in Southern California. Our goal is to ensure that pertinent knowledge, information and documents of historical significance are acquired, preserved, and made accessible for contemporary researchers and policy makers and for future generations. The CSWA also…

Collection Description: Virginia Robinson Gardens, built in 1911, was the first estate in Beverly Hills. Today, it is listed on the national registry of historic sites. Social doyenne, art collector and philanthropist Mrs. Virginia Robinson resided in the house for thirty years and, before her death in 1977, she gave it to Los Angeles County for the public to enjoy. This historic estate, which…

The Whittier History Room is located on the mezzanine of the Central Library and is home to the Whittier Local History Collection. The purpose of this collection is to collect, preserve and make available to the public materials reflecting the development of the City of Whittier and surrounding areas. The main areas of collection are Whittier history, Whittier Hills and California history. The…