IRLE Institute for Research on Labor and Employment
UC Berkeley

Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Library

  • About the Library

    The IRLE Library is an Affiliated Library of the UC Berkeley campus, with a special focus on labor issues, labor economics, and organizations. It serves faculty, staff, students, members of the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, other researchers in the UC system, and the general public.

  • Services

    We encourage faculty, students and staff to to consult with the IRLE Library. 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 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