What we document
Our goal is to surface the historical records and cultural heritage of Orange County for research, even materials not held by the UCI Libraries. We are actively engaged in and seeking ongoing non-custodial, equitable partnerships to ensure sustained preservation and access to the histories of the region, especially related to social justice and communities under-documented in the historical record.
We are committed to the principles and practice of supporting community centered archives.
We are expanding non-custodial partnerships and collecting in the following areas:
- Environmental activism
- Arts organizations and artists’ histories
- LGBTQ+ history
- Open space preservation
- Political issues and movements
- Public health
- Social movements, uprisings, and protests
- Under-documented racial and ethnic communities
- Community development and disruption
- Visual history of the landscape, cities, and communities
- Youth cultures
Existing areas of the collection we will occasionally collect include:
- Agriculture and ranchos
- City histories
- Irvine Ranch and The Irvine Company
- Disneyland
- Helena Modjeska
- San Juan Capistrano Mission
- Surfing
Support the Orange County Collection
The UCI Libraries welcomes financial gifts that support the mission of Special Collections and Archives. Gifts that support our funding priorities are essential to the excellence of our collections.