UCLA Library Acquires LA Unified School District Historical Archive

From the UCLA Newsroom

The UCLA Library has entered into an agreement to acquire the historical records of the Los Angeles Unified School District, one of the most important public education enterprises in the nation. Covering more than 100 years of Southern California public education and civic life, this extensive archive documents major aspects of district operations dating back to the late 19th century.

Among its most significant contents are demographic surveys conducted in the 1920s to segregate school populations based on race, materials recording the school board’s response to the landmark Crawford desegregation lawsuit filed in 1963 and decades of files documenting the district’s administration of busing and desegregation programs.

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“We are honored that the LAUSD has given the UCLA Library these invaluable records,” said UCLA University Librarian Gary E. Strong. “As the leading public academic research library in Southern California, we plan to preserve these materials and make them publicly accessible as part of the university’s ongoing involvement with civic life and public education in this region.”

The collection includes official records of the Los Angeles Board of Education, consisting of board and committee reports and minutes, financial records, and school directories. These are supported by research files containing documentation such as letters, reports, catalogs and lists for board actions. Subjects range from curriculum, desegregation, enrollment, staff, and health and safety to buildings and facilities, athletics, “un-American activities” and challenged library books.

Read the Complete Announcement</a

Direct to UCLA Library Special Collections

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Archives and Special Collections, Libraries, Reports, School Libraries