LA84 Foundation’s historical library keeps Olympic spirit alive

The LA84 Foundation historical library, where Olympic legacy is stored.

Michael Salmon, LA84 Foundation Librarian, describes the historical library as a place where “people can come in and do research, or just get a sense for the Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement.”

Located inside LA84 Foundation headquarters, the collection is transitioning from traditional pieces into a digital library.

LA84 Foundation Digital Library Manager, Shirley Ito, describes the collection as “never ending.”

Ito began working in the Foundation’s historical library in 1988, and said, “I’ve always enjoyed helping people find information.

“We’ll make and acquire more digital items, which forces us to think about new kinds of formats for things such as documents,” she added.

The recently introduced digital aspects make finding specific pieces in the collection an easier job for researchers.

Digitizing the collection also creates the opportunity for Olympic fanatics to access the collection remotely, from anywhere they may be.

The digital library contains more than 70,000 records, the history of over 60 Olympians, and storage from the 2015 Special Olympics World Games.

Throughout the collection, iconic pictures and display cases from several Olympic Games allow visitors to immerse themselves in the legacy of Olympic events.

This story was produced through the HS Insider summer internship program which is supported by funding from LA84 Foundation.