ONE Archives at the USC Libraries — the largest collection of LGBTQIA+ materials in the world — reopened to the public Jan. 23 after being closed for almost two years. 

Since its founding in 1952, ONE Archives has housed different archival items including books, films, videos, audio recordings and photographs. ONE Archives became part of USC Libraries in 2010, giving USC access to its archival materials.

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Alexis Bard Johnson, the curator at ONE Archives, said some improvements were made to the collection during its two-year closure, both aesthetically and functionally. 

Johnson said the cosmetic changes included a new elevator, new lighting throughout the building and centralized heating and cooling systems. She explained that these changes have been great for accessibility and have allowed better care for the collections themselves. 

“It was fantastic to be able to be open again and start to serve patrons and be able to put on exhibitions and programs as well that showcase that collection both for students and the general population,” Johnson said. 

She hopes students who have done archival research but haven’t had the opportunity to experience ONE Archives can now do so because of the recent reopening. 

“It’s much more than just an archive, it’s really a community center where people can come together and feel a shared history about queerness,” Johnson said. “Maybe [they can] discover something that they didn’t know before.”

Johnson said the exhibitions and events done by ONE Archives allow students and the community to find like-minded individuals, something she feels they can do even better than before. 

According to Johnson, ONE Archives staff are still figuring out their relationship with the rest of USC, as she said a lot of individuals on campus are unaware that ONE Archives exists. 

“My biggest hope is to feel more integrated and have more relationships with people, especially students on campus, being a home for queer students or students who are interested in queerness or sexuality or queer history, being a hub and space for them to both do research and find each other through programs,” Johnson said.

Alice Echols, Barbra Streisand professor of contemporary gender studies and professor of history and gender studies, said she incorporates resources from ONE Archives into her classes. 

“Over the years, students of mine have used it to study a variety of topics: legal cases involving incarcerated people with AIDS, the gay and lesbian ship cruises that began in the 1970s, and queer people’s use of hallucinogens,” Echols wrote in a statement to the Daily Trojan. 

Echols said that for most of its existence, ONE Archives had no institutional home. She said the archive moved with founder Jim Kepner, a journalist and queer activist, from apartment to apartment as he collected materials on LGBTQIA+ people. 

“It took a lot of work on the part of queer scholars and activists,” Echols wrote. “But nearly 15 years after his death, arrangements were made for USC Libraries to formally absorb [ONE Archives] into its system.” 

Chris Belcher, assistant professor of writing and gender and sexuality studies, said she has already taken her students to ONE Archives to experience the “Blood Baby” exhibition.

“It’s a really exciting place, archives are always a place for discovery,” Belcher said. “You’re not going there necessarily looking for answers but open to what history is going to give you.”

Belcher said she feels ONE Archives will impact USC students by allowing them to contribute to archival history and bring concepts from the classroom to the space of ONE Archives.

“I hope in the future to be able to do coursework where I have my students contributing to [ONE] Archives,” Belcher said. “In terms of processing materials or writing descriptions, being able to be part of making these histories available to other students in the future.”

In terms of ONE Archives itself, Belcher said she hopes that collaborations with ONE Archives continue to be well-funded and exciting. 

“It’s inspiring to see a space that brings community and public scholars … from all over into contact with USC students,” Belcher said.