Southern California Library

The Southern California Library documents and makes accessible histories of struggles that challenge racism and other systems of oppression so we can all imagine and sustain possibilities for freedom.

Collections Processing & Digitizing

• Occasional, Weekly, Monthly
• Teens, 21+, 55+, Adults
• Individuals, Groups (2-10), Groups (10+), Corporate Teams
• Virtual, Indoor
• On-site, Formal
• Weekdays, Weekends

SCL was founded by Emil Freed, the son of anarchists and brought up with the consciousness that the world needed to be changed. During the 1930s, Freed was an active member of the Communist Party and participated in the independent labor movement before the creation of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). Freed began independently saving pamphlets and other political material, motivated by a desire to create a historical legacy of leftist thought and fear that this material would be lost. By 1970, the current space had reached capacity and Freed began seeking a new home. Freed borrowed money to purchase the building and moved his growing collection into what remains the Library’s current location. With a new space, volunteers loaded boxes of books to bring to the Library, and eventually organized what has endured for 50 years as the Southern California Library.