Don't Miss the 6th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar

Free and open to the public, the 6th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar is being held on Saturday, October 22, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Doheny Memorial Library on the USC campus.

A joint effort of USC Libraries and LAasSubject, the bazaar will include exhibits representing over 80 participating institutions, including the Autry National Center of the American West, the California African American Museum, and the Japanese American National Museum. In addition to the institutional exhibits, there are educational sessions, documentary film screenings, and panel discussions.

What a great opportunity to learn about some of the special collections available here in the Los Angeles area! Click here for more information.

Be sure to download and view "Preservation 101: Basic Tips for the Household Archivist," a presentation given by Michelle Light, head of special collections and archives at UC Irvine, given at the 4th Annual Bazaar. Her speaking notes are included in the PowerPoint presentation.


© 2011 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Los Angeles County Archives and Records Center

If you are looking for probate, divorce, or civil court cases more than five years old, you'll need to do some research at the Los Angeles County Archives and Records Center, located at 211 N. Hill Street, in downtown Los Angeles. For specific information about hours, records availability, copy charges, etc., see their website.

Here are some tips if you plan to visit:

1. Unless you love crazy traffic and exorbitant parking charges, take public transportation. The archives are just a short walk from the Metro Red Line Civic Center station.
2. I also recommend dressing in layers; it can be quite warm in the microfilm library, especially at the film readers.
3. It's easy to miss the entrance; see the image from Google Earth below. Although construction is going on right now, you can access the elevator down to the Archives from outside the building, which will save walking through a maze of corridors. The red arrow on the photo shows the location.
4. The archives are located on the 2nd lower level; the microfilm library is on the 1st lower level. 
5. Visit the archives on the 2nd lower level first to get the case number(s); then you will go to the microfilm library on the 1st lower level.
6. You will take a number and sign in at the microfilm library. Allow yourself plenty of time. My experience has been there is usually a two-hour wait to view microfilm or speak with a clerk about the documents you want.
7. There is a 30-minute time limit on the use of microfilm readers, and there are only 4 readers. If you want something specific, such as the final judgment on a divorce or just the will from a probate file, I recommend asking the clerk to copy it for you, rather than using a reader.
8. Once you have your documents, a clerk will write up a work invoice which you take the cashier on the 2nd lower level. Then you go back to the microfilm library to pick up your documents!

Elevator to Archives is located to the left of where the red arrow is pointing.

Good luck in your genealogy search!

© 2011 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research