The Institute of Governmental Studies Library (IGSL) at UC Berkeley has reached a remarkable achievement: more than 5,000 local government documents from across California have been digitized and made freely accessible to the public!
Launched in the summer of 2024, the project has digitized a sizable portion of its local government monographs, which were gathered over the years 1975-2008. These materials consist of core government publications such as general plans, zoning ordinances, environmental impact reports, and growth management studies. The collection also includes an array of rare and highly specialized documents that reflect the nuanced challenges and innovations at the local level.
Some particularly distinctive highlights include:
-
Local government reports addressing the impact of undocumented immigrants
-
In-depth analyses of the role of women as minorities in public administration
-
Public sector telecommunications planning within California metropolitan planning organizations
With this project, IGSL ensures that these uncommon and invaluable records—once scattered and difficult to access—are now preserved for future generations of researchers, policymakers, and the public.
What’s next on the horizon:
-
Serial publications (e.g., city budgets, climate action reports, city newsletters, regional planning and governance) will be digitized starting the Fall of 2025!
-
Born-digital materials currently hosted on local government websites will soon be actively collected and preserved as part of the library’s growing digital collections.
-
User support tools—the IGS library will lead workshops, tutorials, and create online guides—beginning in 2026!
Explore the collection:https://archive.org/details/igscalocalgovdocsigsl@berkeley.edu
(510) 642-1472
Open knowledge builds stronger communities.