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Liberation News Service Records
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Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Ray Mungo and Marshall Bloom founded the Liberation News Service (LNS) in 1967 with the purpose of providing an alternative source of news different from mainstream media outlets. The LNS collected information from underground and small presses in the form of articles, photographs, and publications, and created news packets that were then sent out to subscribers. Many subscribers were locally run, small alternative newspapers, and they relied on LNS as a major source for radically oriented news copy and graphics.
The Liberation News Service Records consist of news packets produced by LNS, library/research subject files, administrative records, correspondence, financial records, and audio tapes by and related to the work of the Liberation News Service. Included in this collection are records and audio tapes from Cornell University's Rest of the News and New York's Radio Free People (which used LNS packets as a news source) radio projects.
Series 2: Administrative records, 1929-1981, bulk 1963-1981, undated
Series 3: Rest of the News and Radio Free People materials, 1963-1979
Series 4: News packets, 1967-1981
Series 5: Accession 2020-20, circa 1975-2003
Purchased in April 1982, along with the administrative and office files of LNS. The Rest of the News and Radio Free People material was held by LNS, and transferred along with their records
Original audiovisual materials, as well as preservation and duplicating masters, may not be played. Researchers must consult use copies, or if none exist must pay for a use copy. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
Collection processed and finding aid prepared in Anastasia Karel, May 2002, and by K. Billard (Rest of the News/Radio Free People material), October 2007. Finding aid revised according to contemporary archival standards in July 2015 by Katy Rawdon, Coordinator of Technical Services. Finding aid revised to add materials in Series 4 in December 2017. Unprocessed materials in Series 4 integrated, boxes consolidated, and finding aid revised by Randi Jones, Student Worker, and Katy Rawdon, Coordinator of Technical Services, October 2019. Updated to add Series 5 in November 2020 by Katy Rawdon, Coordinator of Technical Services.
Some folder titles in the collection inventory were provided by the Liberation News Service. In certain instances, researchers will find language in these folder titles that is insensitive toward various groups of people. The archivist retained the folder titles because they accurately reflect the language used by the LNS within the documents and the context in which the records were created. Text written by the archivist in the finding aid, such as the description of collection and series descriptions, does not include this language except when quoting directly from a document within the collection which may aid understanding or discoverability. The archivist adhered to institutional policy that prescribes archivist-supplied text in the finding aid be inclusive and appropriate for a modern context. In a few cases, potentially harmful language was replaced within the finding aid, but may still remain on the physical folder. See the SCRC Statement on Potentially Harmful Language for more information.
People
Organization
Subject
- News agencies -- United States
- Press and politics -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Radicalism -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Underground press publications -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Place
- Publisher
- Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan, Sky Global Services India (P) Ltd.
- Finding Aid Date
- May 2025
- Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research. One box of administrative records in Series 2 is restricted. Contact SCRC for more information.
- Use Restrictions
-
The Liberation News Service Records are the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. The creator has not assigned its rights to Temple University Libraries. Other creators' intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to them or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
Series 1 contains reference files, pamphlets, and publications used by the Liberation News Service to prepare their news packets.
(see also Ford, GM, etc.)
(1 piece)
(see also mining)
(see also Nuclear box)
(see also food pollution, farmworkers)
(see No Man Apart for good articles)
(see also Persian Gulf States, Iran, Palestine)
(see also Quebec)
(11 Issues)
(2 pieces)
(see also Persian Gulf states)
(1 piece)
(see also Iran and Oman)
(see also Ceylon)
(see also Wounded folders)
(see folder for specific people)
(see folder for specific people)
(see folder for specific people)
(see folder for specific people)
(see folder for specific people)
(see folder for specific people)
(see folder for specific people)
(parts of 2 issues)
(4 issues from 1971)
(1 issue)
(2 Issues from 1971)
(see also third world students)
Series 2 contains subject files and administrative records.
Series 3 contains documents and audio tapes from the Rest of the News and Radio Free People. Rest of the News was an alternative news radio project at Cornell University. They used the Liberation News Service as a source for their programming, although the two organizations were not affiliated. Radio Free People was a project founded by Peter Sutheim in New York.
Series 4 contains the news packets prepared and sent out by the Liberation News Service.
Series 5 contains an addition of Librarian News Service Records received in 2020. Included are letters from activist Jodey Bateman to the Liberation News Service, and miscellaneous records, fliers, letters, and financial records from approximately 1975-1978, as well as an emailed 1972 history of the Service by I. F. Stone, Jack Newfield, Nat Hentoff, and William M. Kunstler, emailed dated 2003.