Left politics and labor / Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs
Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs
Archives and custodyMovement documentsactive
The archive's reading. none stated. The archive reads it as a university holder whose building was funded by the union whose records it keeps; whether a defeated caucus's papers are held beside an executive's is a question for its finding aids, unread here.
| Kind | labor archives; the largest labor archives in North America, in its own words; also home of the Wayne State University Archives |
|---|---|
| Operator | Wayne State University (the library is the Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University, Detroit) |
| Unit of record | an archival collection described by a finding aid (ArchivesSpace), with digital collections, image galleries, audiovisual collections and oral histories |
| What it records | original source materials relating to the development of the American labor movement: the collections of numerous unions and labor-related organizations (categories AFSCME, AFT, ALPA, IWW, NALC, SEIU, UAW, UFW among them); the political and community life of urban and metropolitan Detroit, the civil rights movement in Michigan and nationally, and women's struggles in the workplace |
| Whose record it keeps | the records of unions and labor-related organizations, with Detroit's political and community life, civil rights and women's workplace struggles |
| Who holds it | Wayne State University; the 1975 building was funded by the UAW and a Department of Health, Education, and Welfare grant, and a later UAW gift funded the Leonard Woodcock Wing (1991); collections freely open to the public; donations under a Collection Policy (PDF, unsaved) |
| The losing side | not recorded |
| Method | deposit and donation of organizational records and papers under a collection policy; finding aids; oral history |
| Coverage | geography: the American labor movement; urban and metropolitan Detroit; the civil rights movement in Michigan and nationally; period: not stated in the saved text; collecting since 1960 |
| Count | value: not stated in the saved text; as_of: 2026-10-31 |
| Holdings | the collections of numerous unions and labor-related organizations; the Wayne State University Archives (established 1958); an addition to the UAW Education Department Records opened in August 2026; digital collections, image galleries, audiovisual collections, oral history and podcasts |
| Stated limits | reading room hours Monday to Friday 9:30am to noon and 1pm to 3:30pm, closed weekends and university holidays; QuickSearch was retired on 17 August 2026; collections are searched separately through a tabbed search box while discovery is integrated into Summon |
| Data access | collections freely open to the public; reading room without appointment; finding aids in ArchivesSpace, digital collections and the library catalogue |
| Licence | not stated in the saved text; a Copyright and Privacy Policy page is linked; the site footer reads 'All rights reserved' |
| Lifecycle | state: active; detail: established 1960 as the Labor History Archives at Wayne State University; building 1975; Woodcock Wing 1991; collection addition announced 13 August 2026; closed 3 November 2026 for Election Day |
| Founded | 1960 |
What its record can settle
- whether a named union or labor organization's records are held, through the finding aids
- what the library holds for a union in its browse categories (AFSCME, AFT, IWW, UAW, UFW and the rest)
What it cannot settle
- the size of the holdings, from the saved text
- whether the collections keep the records of union opposition caucuses, dissent or expulsions, from the saved text
Kept apart
- NOT the UAW's own archive: a Wayne State University library, though the UAW funded its building
- NOT a strike dataset: its podcast and subject headings discuss strikes, and its unit is the archival collection
- NOT limited to labor: it also holds the Wayne State University Archives and Detroit urban affairs
Evidence
- history (the resource's own statement):
The Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs was established as the Labor History Archives at Wayne State University in 1960, with the goal of collecting and preserving original source materials relating to the development of the American labor movement.
https://reuther.wayne.edu/about · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 3bf1b8f31218a971… - building (the resource's own statement):
In 1975, the Walter P. Reuther Library was constructed with funds given to Wayne State University by the United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, and through a supplementary grant from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
https://reuther.wayne.edu/about · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 3bf1b8f31218a971… - wing (the resource's own statement):
A later gift from the UAW funded the construction of the library's Leonard Woodcock Wing, completed in 1991.
https://reuther.wayne.edu/about · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 3bf1b8f31218a971… - kind (the resource's own statement):
The Reuther Library is the largest labor archives in North America and is home to the collections of numerous unions and labor-related organizations.
https://reuther.wayne.edu/about · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 3bf1b8f31218a971… - strengths (the resource's own statement):
Its collection strengths extend to the political and community life of urban and metropolitan Detroit, the civil rights movement in Michigan and nationally, and women's struggles in the workplace.
https://reuther.wayne.edu/about · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 3bf1b8f31218a971… - university_archives (the resource's own statement):
The Reuther Library is also the home of the Wayne State University Archives, established by the Board of Governors in 1958
https://reuther.wayne.edu/about · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 3bf1b8f31218a971… - access (the resource's own statement):
The collections housed in the Reuther Library are freely open to the public. Appointments are not required
https://reuther.wayne.edu/about · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 3bf1b8f31218a971… - hours (the resource's own statement):
Monday – Friday 9:30am–noon, 1pm-3:30pm CLOSED Saturday, Sunday, & all University Holidays
https://reuther.wayne.edu/about · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 3bf1b8f31218a971… - policy (the resource's own statement):
The Reuther Library collects and facilitates access to historical documentary evidence in order to inspire academic research, serve the information needs of the community, and build knowledge at Wayne State University.
https://reuther.wayne.edu/about · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 3bf1b8f31218a971… - policy_pdf (the resource's own statement):
CollectionPolicy_20141216.pdf
https://reuther.wayne.edu/about · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 3bf1b8f31218a971… - categories (the resource's own statement):
AFSCME AFT ALPA Damon J. Keith IWW JCA MDA NALC SEIU SWE UAW UFW WSU
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - finding_aids (the resource's own statement):
Finding aids are descriptions of archival collections that help researchers locate relevant materials.
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - access_tools (the resource's own statement):
ArchivesSpace Digital Collections Library Catalog
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - operator (the resource's own statement):
Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University — 5401 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI 48202
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - quicksearch (the resource's own statement):
On Monday, August 17, the Reuther Library QuickSearch is being retired.
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - quicksearch_2 (the resource's own statement):
our collections can be searched separately using the tabbed search box near the top of our website.
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - uaw_addition (the resource's own statement):
The Walter P. Reuther Library is excited to announce the opening of an addition to the UAW Education Department Records , one of the most essential collections from the union’s archival holdings.
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - uaw_addition_date (the resource's own statement):
Posted August 13th, 2026 by gstrassel
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - closure (the resource's own statement):
The Reuther Library will be closed on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, for Election Day.
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - latest_post (the resource's own statement):
Posted October 27th, 2026 by krouan
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - podcast_strike (the resource's own statement):
[Podcast] Organizing Associational Power: A Strikers’ Inquiry Into the 2022 UAW Strike Against the University of California
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - rights (the resource's own statement):
Wayne State University . All rights reserved.
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - menu (the resource's own statement):
Donating Materials
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800… - oral_history (the resource's own statement):
Oral History
https://reuther.wayne.edu/ · read 2026-10-31 · http 200 · sha256 db9d0069e69ea800…
Unchecked
the Collection Policy PDF and the Mission, Vision, and Values statements (linked, unsaved); the finding aids in ArchivesSpace; the Copyright and Privacy Policy page
Cite: Lee Sharks, ed. "Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs." Mary Lee Labor meta-aggregator: left politics and labor, maryleelabor.org, compiled 2026-10-31. https://www.maryleelabor.org/aggregators/reuther-library