Support HSLB!

I was recently hired on as the Historical Society's Research Coordinator, and I have loved every minute of it! I began as an intern back in August 2024 and was recently hired on in May of this year.  The Historical Society is a small nonprofit organization that is a working archive of Long Beach history, collecting everything from newspapers, photographs, documents, and much more. We are also a free museum, and seeing the guests that come in every day continues to bring hope for our future generations. We recently opened our new exhibit on Long Beach's participation in the Los Angeles (and Global) Olympic history. Titled, Olympics on the Golden Shore, it shows off artifacts and a thoroughly researched exhibit commissioned by the City of Long Beach. Being able to work for such a non-profit is an experience I believe every human should have, as it opens your eyes to the importance of working for a goal beyond oneself. Seeing the people who come in every day shows the importance of not only providing nostalgia to our guests but also reveals the significance of preserving our community and history in a way that the future to care for and access. 

As HSLB's Research Coordinator, it is my job to facilitate research appointments and be one of the many access ways for community engagement. On our website, researchers can submit a request for anything they may wish to find out (whether it is a grad student looking into a paper on urban development, or an elderly couple curious about the history of their church). If we don't have anything available on the requested topic, then there is still hope yet, as we provide the researcher with other potential leads and resources that may have the answers they seek! However, that is not very often, and when we find something, for a small fee, the researcher can come in and view the information they seek! 

Given the mission of the Historical Society, fundraising such as this is one of the many ways that we can continue to operate and preserve our mission (which I've found admirable for a long time). Without the support from our community, we cannot provide appointments or our fascinating exhibits. Without these things, there would be no HSLB at all, and we can't have that!