Random Lengths News Collection

Collection

Identifier: SPC-2021-032

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Random Lengths News Collection (1848, 1853, 1967, 1971, 1985-2022, undated; bulk 1990-2004) contains 70 boxes and 31 linear feet of material generated by Random Lengths News. A majority of this collection contains material related to newspaper issues such as drafts, letters to the editor, notes, photographs, press releases, clippings, reports, advertisements, invoices, and presumably research that was used in the process of creating and organizing issues of Random Lengths; as well as published issues of Random Lengths. Series I: Chronological Files contains material related to prospective issues such as drafts of articles; letters to the editor; notes; clippings; photographs; half-tones; cartoons; press releases; clippings; and other material that was used during the process of creating and organizing future issues of Random Lengths; as well as copies of published issues; runsheets for classified advertisements; news briefs; and invoices. Series II: Subject Files contains articles; newspaper clippings; press releases; notes; correspondence; memorandums; and other material featuring topics such as politics, elections, redevelopment projects, the environment, construction projects, communities, education, crime, activism,labor unions; with a focus on the South Bay area of Southern California and Los Angeles. Series III: Administrative Files contains documents related to procedures and policies such as: photo waivers; photo assignment and request forms; story assignment sheets; writer and employee guidelines; and an employee handbook; as well as other documents such as distribution lists, invoices, tax forms, correspondence, notes, and other related material. Series IV: Published Material contains published issues of Random Lengths News, as well as a few issues of Harbor Living.

Dates

1848, 1853, 1967, 1971, 1985-2024; undated
Majority of material found within 1990-2004

Creator

Random Lengths News (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical / Historical

Random Lengths News is the only independently owned progressive news magazine that has been covering news in Carson, Lomita, Long Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Torrance, and Wilmington since 1979. "Random Lengths News is an alternative community newspaper serving the Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbor Area. We are committed to promoting an open dialogue on the important questions concerning our community. We invite and depend on community participation. Random Lengths News addresses the community need for a newspaper that will fight for worker, consumer and citizen rights; that will alert to dangers in the community; that will report honestly on the problems in schools and workplaces; that will analyze the failures of government; and that will reveal the full extent of corporate control over lives. The newspaper also speaks of past achievements and the progressive developments in the community. It is the newspaper’s intention to promote direct community action and encourage non-exploitive artistic and cultural activity. The paper is committed to working against sex and age discrimination across all ethnic and racial boundaries. Random Lengths News urges readers to discover their own political power by making changes in their own neighborhoods that are drawn together into a cohesive social movement."

"About Us, Our Mission". Retrieved from: https://www.randomlengthsnews.com/about

Extent

71 boxes (45 record storage, 6 document cases, 20 oversized)

32 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection contains clippings, notes, correspondence, photographs, half-tones, press releases, flyers, invoices, meeting minutes, reports, published newspaper issues, and other material generated by Random Lengths News.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into four series

Series I: Chronological Files, 1998-2008; undated
Series II: Subject Files, 1848, 1853, 1967, 1971, 1985-2016; undated
Series III: Administrative Files, 1991-2016; undated
Series IV: Published Material, 1980-2022

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by James Preston Allen, founder of Random Lengths News; 2021.

Processing Information

Material was removed from original folders and placed into archival folders with reference to original folder titles. Although material has been arranged alphabetically or chronologically and into series; original order was maintained in regards to material within each folder and folder titles, meaning that documents have been placed in the same order within each folder, and folder titles were authored by the collection's creator. Any record labeled as "untitled" indicates that the folder did not have a title that was creator derived, and any title and descriptive information for those records has been created by an archivist.