Cal State LA Special Collections and Archives are composed of rare books, journals, digital, and archival collections. To browse our collections, get started with these search tools:

OneSearch is an intuitive, central interface that provides access to print and digital collections across all California State University (CSU) libraries. You can search for rare books and journals located in Special Collections and Archives by conducting an Advanced Search. Type in your Subject/Keyword and click on search. On the left-hand side, filter by Resource Type (Archival Material/Manuscript and/or Archival Materials) or Location (Select locations indicated by Special Collections.

ArchivesSpace is a database where you can search our collection finding aids. Finding Aids are created by archivists to describe the history of a collection and the arrangement of material, to help you navigate the contents and identify material relevant to your research.

Online Archive of California (OAC) provides free public access to detailed descriptions of primary resource collections maintained by more than 200 contributing institutions including libraries, special collections, archives, historical societies, and museums throughout California. Here you can browse collection guides of all the available collections at Cal State LA.

Digital Collections provide access to digital versions of special collection and archival materials. Available collections are listed and can be browsed individually, or a search can also be conducted across collections via keywords in the search box (top right-hand corner) or by selecting a predetermined facet such as item type, subject term, author, or year.

To further assist you with your primary source research, visit the Primary Source Research Guide.

Special Collections and Archives are available to the campus community and the public.

We highly encourage scheduling a research appointment 1-week in advance. Walk-ins may be accommodated depending on the materials requested and the availability of staff to fulfill the request.

To schedule an appointment, please fill out the Research Appointment Application.

Once your request has been processed, you will receive a confirmation email within 2-3 business days. Not all requests are guaranteed. Research visit confirmation is subject to the collection(s) status, staff and reading room availability.

For in-depth research help, schedule a Research Consultation for one-on-one or small group assistance with a Special Collections Librarian.

All appointment requests should be made at least 1 week in advance as Research Consultations cannot be guaranteed to walk-ins.

To schedule an appointment, please fill out the Research Consultation Form.