LA as Subject: 25 years of Highlighting Southern California Archives Main MenuIntroductionLA as Subject: 25 years of highlighting less visible archivesTimelineThe Vision Behind LA as SubjectLA as Subject EvolvesArchives BazaarThe Story Behind LOST LAThe Residency ProgramInterviewsVoices of LA as SubjectAlexandra Elizabeth Hontalas-Adams377122f0e60c302a88ad270b42c2463d15e203a7
1media/bazaar_photograph1.jpg2020-08-18T12:58:56-07:00LA as Subject Evolves104image_header10197252020-10-16T16:41:59-07:00The LA as Subject (LAAS) research project identified less visible archives and developed a cultural resource. When LAAS moved to the USC Libraries, it began building on the initial research project's work. The egalitarian consortium is continually discovering new ways to achieve its aims and met its members' needs through various initiatives and programs. For example, in 2018, LAAS received a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Pitch-An-Idea grant from the California State Library to upgrade its directory and created a new online portal. The new directory provides archive members with a platform to make their unique and valuable holdings accessible and connect with the public.
When LAAS was transferred to USC, it transitioned from a printed directory to a digital database, and entries became members.
There are three types of LAAS members:
Archive Members: Institutions, organizations, and individuals owning, holding, or administering primary resources related to Los Angeles history
Research Members: Institutions, organizations, and individuals not owning, holding, or administering such primary resources but support and promote the mission of LA as Subject.
Student Members: K-12, undergraduate, or graduate students, especially those interested in the subject of history, librarianship, or archival management.
The backend framework of the new LAAS portal allowed community archive specialist Stella Castillo to create valuable data sets. These data sets provide insight into the evolution of LAAS archive membership.
Thirty-nine percent of the current LAAS archive membership are original members. Since 1999, 166 new archive members joined the research alliance. This means that LAAS has added approximately 16.5 archive members per year.