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Peek in the Stacks: urban archives

Celebrating 100 Years of Veterans Day

Veterans Day began as Armistice Day, intended to recognize the end of World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. It was first celebrated in 1919, and continued as Armistice Day until 1954, when the holiday was renamed Veterans Day in order to recognize all service personnel in the United States Armed Forces. Unlike Memorial Day, which recognizes military personnel who died in service, Veterans Day celebrates...

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The History of Scrapbooks

The evolution of the scrapbook dates back centuries, as people began to document their lives, the places they visited, and the significant events that shaped their daily lives in the unique format. Special Collections and Archives holds a wide variety of materials that illustrate this evolution, including scrapbooking's historical roots and the merging of storytelling...

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Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Community Relations Committee was founded in the early 20th century to work with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), B'nai B'rith, the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the American Jewish Congress, the Council of Jewish Women, and other Zionist organizations to fight anti-Semitism in the United States. In 1941 ....

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California Federation of Teachers Collection

The California Federation of Teachers (CFT) has 120,000 members, and is one of the largest affiliates of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), one of two major national organizations for the classroom teacher. Effective lobbying efforts in the state capital have made the CFT an important factor in the passage of many educational reform measures ....

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Industrial Association of the San Fernando Valley Collection

The Industrial Association of the San Fernando Valley, now known as the Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA), is a non-profit organization created to bring industries and commerce to the San Fernando Valley. The San Fernando Valley housing development was beginning to boom in the 1950s, and VICA’s mission was to bring commerce ...

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League of Women Voters of Los Angeles Collection

The League of Women Voters of Los Angeles began donating its archival records to the Urban Archives, then in the History Department rather than the library, in 1979. The League of Women Voters of Los Angeles Collection has continued to grow from subsequent donations over the intervening decades, and provides thorough documentation of the League of LA's mission....

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CSUN Leaders Collection

The CSUN Leaders Oral History Project Collection contains interviews with eight key individuals involved in the history of California State University, Northridge, including some of the university's most distinguished faculty, deans, presidents, and provosts. Topics discussed in the histories include campus unrest during the 1960s and 1970s, the 1994 earthquake, budget crises in California...

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CSUN's Founding Story

Special Collections and Archives holds several collections and publications that tell the story of the founding of California State University, Northridge. The saga has been documented by emeritus history professor John Broesamle in his 1993 history of the university, Suddenly a Giant, through photographs in the University Archives Photograph Collection, and in the Judge Julian Beck and Homer A. Halverson ...

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Charles Weeks Collection

The Charles Weeks Collection was created by Carolyn L. Ryan, author of Winnetka's Heritage. The collection is comprised of various publications which document the activities and lifestyle of Charles Weeks and the farming community he helped to create in the San Fernando Valley. Mr. Weeks was invited to the San Fernando ...

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Hollywood Studio Club

In the 1920s, the film industry exploded and Hollywood became the capital of the movie business. Young women from all over the country began coming to Los Angeles to try to make it big as screen stars. In some cases, women were exploited, taken advantage of, or became embroiled in scandals due to their youth and naiveté. Seeing the need for a safe haven, the Young Women’s ...

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