Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Library

Services

Reference service is available to all members of the UC Berkeley community and the general public. In depth consultations are available by appointment. In addition, the Library Website has numerous research guides which are available to all online users.

Reference Consultations
We encourage faculty, students and staff to consult with the IRLE Library team in person. Contact Janice at jankim@berkeley.edu directly to set up an appointment.

Directional Assistance
Berkeley recently added its ten millionth print volume, and continues to build its digital collections. The University Library includes Doe/Moffitt Libraries, 18 branch libraries, and 7 Affiliated Libraries. IRLE Library staff can help you locate library materials in this vast system–just ask.

Subject Guides
Visit the IRLE Library’s Subject Guides.

Collections

The Library’s print collections number in excess of 45,000 volumes, and are housed at the IRLE, UC Berkeley. Sections of the collection are stored at the Northern Regional Library Facility. Collections are accessible UC Berkeley’s OskiCat catalog and Melvyl. Digital collections are accessible from this server and from the Online Archive of California.

Collection Goals
The IRLE Library collects information in multiple disciplines and formats about employment and workplace issues. Particular strengths of the collection are labor history, labor and culture, labor and the arts, labor relations, organization studies, international labor issues, trade unionism and collective bargaining.

Digital Collections

Books And Documents
The book collection broadly covers the issues of employment and workplace issues. Particular strengths of the collection are labor history, labor relations, organization studies, international labor issues, trade unionism and collective bargaining. Print journals, government documents and trade union publications documents must be paged from closed stacks.

Special Collections
Oral Histories. The Library has a collection of oral histories of labor leaders, which are also held at the Bancroft Library.

Trade Union Publications. The Library collects trade union newsletters, journals and bulletins. Materials must be paged from closed stacks.

“We Do the Work.” The Library has a full set of “We Do the Work,” a television series of 30 minute feature about labor issues, which was aired on Public Broadcasting Service stations. Non circulating.

Visiting & Borrowing

The IRLE Library collection is available by appointment only for campus and public access. If you would like information about or borrow from our collection please email (jankim@berkeley.edu) to make an appointment. Books must be requested prior to on site visit by email.

To access material from the IRLE Library:

• Please search Oskicat to see if IRLE has a copy of the material
• Please note the title of the book and the call number
• Email jankim@berkeley.edu with the title and call number.
• Once the material is located you will receive a email back to arrange pick-up of material in the Lobby of IRLE.

Note: The IRLE Library is not barcoded and all of our material says “Available” in Oskicat even when it has been checked out to another patron.

Circulation and Access

Undergraduates and Community
Two Weeks

Graduates
Three Months

Faculty
One Year

Reference Collection
Library Use

Reserves
Two Hours

People

Janice Kimball
Library Operations Manager
(510) 642-1705
jankim@berkeley.edu