Employment

Extensive collection of photos and archival material predating the incorporation of the City of Thousand Oaks and specific sites of regional interest -- Jungleland, Lake Sherwood, etc.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Library & Archive is the most comprehensive transit operator-owned library resource in the United States. As the only multimodal transportation library in Southern California, we serve employees, the public, governments and research institutions around the world. Our origins date back to the days of the Los Angeles Railway in 1890, but we were reintroduced to the public by the Southern California Rapid Transit District in 1971. Our collection contains approximately 250,000 items of significance to Los Angeles transportation history from 1873 to the present. This includes 45,000 books, reports, studies, conference proceedings, plans, maps, and drawings, 20,000 microfiche reports, more than 20,000 photographs and images, over 700 videos, several thousand ephemera, and a growing collection of publicly-accessible full-text digital documents. We collect, preserve,and provide access to archival materials from our predecessor transit agencies: Pacific Electric, Los Angeles Railway, Metropolitan Coach Lines, Los Angeles Transit Lines, Asbury Transit, Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority, Southern California Rapid Transit District, and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission

The Margaret Herrick Library collects a wide range of materials documenting film as both an art form and an industry. Its holdings include photographs, posters, books, periodicals, screenplays, oral histories, and extensive clippings files on people, films, and companies. The clippings files are organized under five headings: production, biography, general subject, festivals and awards, and Academy history. The general subject files contain clippings and photographs regarding aspects of Los Angeles such as homes, studios, motion picture theaters, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, Los Angeles as a location, educational and cultural institutions, theme parks, and landmarks; labor disputes and the formation of industry-related unions and guilds are also extensively documented in the general subject files. The Academy history files provide coverage of that very Los Angeles-based activity—the Academy Awards. The library's Special Collections contain materials relating to the careers of numerous directors, producers, actors, and other craftspeople and their filmmaking work in Los Angeles. Dating from the early 1900s to the present, the materials in Special Collections include scripts in various drafts, personal and business correspondence, production memoranda, sketches, clippings, music scores, recordings, scrapbooks, artifacts, and photographs.

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 Whittier history collection includes Whittier College yearbooks, local high school yearbooks, Whittier City Directories, local telephone books, Haines Directories, and titles by local authors. The entire book collection is cataloged and searchable through the online catalog. There are various files and archives supporting both the Whittier Hills and the Whittier History collections. These consist of clipping files, periodicals, pamphlets and ephemera. Finding aids are available in Archives that list all items with a brief description. Selected materials have been digitized and are available in the Visual Collection. The Map Collection contains over 250 maps. A listing of the entire collection can be found on this website. A selection of these maps has been digitized and is available online. The Whittier Historical Photograph Collection is a collection of photographs of Whittier, the surrounding areas and its people. It is made up of several smaller collections such as the Espolt, Whittier National Trust & Savings Bank, and (most recently acquired) the White-Bailey, as well as individual gifts. This collection continues to grow and we encourage any donations that would broaden and enhance its scope and depth. The Shades of Whittier Collection was created in 1999 with funding from the federal Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA). It is a collection of photographs reflecting the ethnic and cultural diversity of the community. The 301 photographs in the collection were donated by numerous individuals and depict not only the local area, but also the many geographic areas that the people of Whittier came from. The Oral History Collection includes oral histories, video interviews and written transcripts. The older oral histories were done during the 1960s and ‘70s and include many old Whittier family names such as Perry, Tebbetts, Myers, Milhouse and Hodge. In the late 1990s, as part of the Whittier Hills collection, a series of interviews was conducted with individuals active in the preservation of the Whittier Hills. The more recent interviews are done in video format. The Local Newspaper archives are digitized from 1888-1955 and are keyword searchable. 1888-1923 are available on the web. 1924-1955 is restricted to library use only. 1956 to current is available on microfilm, for library use only. Lastly, a list of Local History Resources has been provided. This list includes links to local history organizations and relevant city departments that strive to conserve not only historic structures and neighborhoods but also natural resources of the City and surrounding hills. The Community Development website includes a listing of the City's historic landmarks and districts.

The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, the educational and cultural arm of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Dedicated to the appreciation, study and preservation of our motion picture heritage, the Archive's activities include collection, preservation, documentation, exhibition and research access to films. The Academy announced its plan to collect motion pictures upon its founding in 1927 and made its first film acquisition two years later, in 1929. The Archive’s collection now includes over 140,000 items, covering some 70,000 individual titles. Many items within the Archive’s collection relate to the Los Angeles region, including: • Film and video documenting the history of the Academy and the Academy Foundation, including its public programs, lectures, symposia, and presentations. • Film, kinescope and videotape of Academy Awards ceremonies extending back to 1949, along with additional news material and special coverage of the awards show. • Films and film programs associated with the Student Academy Awards – a great number of which originate from Los Angeles film schools. Ongoing film festival collections, including the Latino International Film Festival and the PXL This! Pixelvision Film Festival Documentary film holdings include the collection of the International Documentary Association. Many of our documentary holdings feature subjects that are Los Angeles specific. Visual effects and technical achievements - through submissions for the Academy Awards process the Archive has acquired a substantial collection of visual effects reels, makeup and sound test reels, and film and video documentation of the Academy's Scientific and Technical Awards. Many materials from this collection were produced and crafted in the Los Angeles region. Home movies and amateur films, particularly those related to the history of Hollywood, the motion picture industry, and the history of the Los Angeles region.

The Museum of Social Justice is located in La Plaza United Methodist Church, on the site of the oldest section of Los Angeles. The Museum’s historical collection consists of documents, photographs, artifacts, and other materials created by La Plaza Methodist Church at the beginning of the twentieth century. The collection features over 2000 photographs that capture the work of the founders of the church, its community center, medical clinic, and the predominantly poor Mexican immigrant population the church was founded to serve. The documents provide a look into the poor living conditions that existed near the Plaza and how La Plaza Methodist Church's social justice practices improved the lives of many of the immigrants living on and near the Plaza. Among other items, the photos feature the first integrated drinking fountain in Los Angeles and the founding of Goddwill Industries of Southern California.  

As the only collecting institution focused solely on the art, craft, and history of Hollywood writers and their labor union, the Writers Guild Foundation Library & Archive are vividlly relevant to the creative and business communities of Los Angeles. The holdings document a rich facet of Los Angeles culture in relation to the role of writers in the entertainment industry. The collections include Writers Guild of America historical materials, current and vintage produced and unproduced scripts, letters, periodicals, photographs, production materials, memorabilia, oral histories, and personal items pertaining to film, television, radio and new media writers. The non-profit Writers Guild Foundation strives to promote and preserve the work of writers for the screen, and to inspire and educate writers everywhere. In addition to the Shavelson-Webb Library & Archive, other esteemed programs include High School Workshops, the Military Veterans Writing Project, and a Visiting Writers program.

The Collections within The Los Angeles Harbor Department Historical Archives document the development of The Los Angeles Harbor as well as the surrounding communities of San Pedro, Wilmington and Long Beach beginning in the late nineteenth century through today. The Archive maintains over 26,000 linear feet of materials including photographs, plans, drawings, books and assorted ephemera that have been generated during the course of official business and community outreach.

The Drucker Institute, in cooperation with the Honnold/Mudd Library at the Claremont Colleges, maintains a collection of records donated by Peter Drucker and others with whom he interacted. The archives’ purpose is to support research related to Drucker’s life and work. The collection includes articles written by or about Peter Drucker, images and magnetic media, boxed awards and ephemera, and realia pertaining to Peter Drucker. If you have Drucker-related materials that you would like to contribute to the Archives, including personal correspondence, please contact Archivist Bridget Lawlor at druckerarchives@cgu.edu or 909-607-9212. Longer term, the Institute hopes to add material from other leading thinkers on management, leadership and related fields. Access to the collection is available by appointment. Please contact Bridget to make arrangements. The Drucker Digital Archives is a growing, searchable online replica of the archives’ physical records.

This reference collection is about the history and culture of California. Contains over 20,000 books, magazines, newspaper, and pamphlets. The collection is a non-circulating resource collection of materials about Southern California in particular with a heavy emphasis on Los Angeles County, including individual cities and unincorporated areas. Fiction by major California writers is included as well as historical fiction about California.