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The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life was established in 2010 following the transfer of the Judah L. Magnes Museum to the University of California, Berkeley. Its remarkably diverse archive, library and museum holdings include art, objects, texts, music, and historical documents about the Jews in the Global Diaspora and the American West. As one of the world's preeminent Jewish collections in a university setting, it provides highly innovative and accessible resources to both researchers and the general public. The holdings of The Magnes continue to grow. In 2017, The Magnes established the Taube Family Arthur Szyk Collection, and in 2018 it received the gift of the Roman Vishniac Archive. 

The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at the University of California, Berkeley consists of audiovisual material (moving images and audio) from the 1920s to the 1990s. The recordings in this collection document various Jewish communities in 20th century California and include the Zellerbach family home movies (dating to the 1920s), audio tapes from the Development Corporation for Israel (Israel Bonds) documenting efforts to raise money for Israel, and other oral history recordings.

The Manzanar National Historic Site collection contains text and audiovisual material (moving images and audio) from the 1940s to 2010s. A majority of the collection consists of filmed and recorded oral interviews with Japanese Americans interned at the Manzanar War Relocation Center during World War II.

The Marin County Free Library collection contains texts and images from the 1870s to 2010s. A majority of the collection consists of national biographies, cyclopaedias, dictionaries, and history books. Subjects include, but are not limited to, World War II, United States history, cultural heritage, philosophy, theology, and American literature.

The Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park collection contains text and audiovisual materials (moving images and audio) from the 1940s to 2000s. A majority of the collection consists of filmed, recorded, and written transcipts of oral histories concerning the discovery of gold by James W. Marshall in 1848. Subjects include the California Gold Rush, agriculture, and women's history in 1850.

The Media Resources Center at the University of California, Berekely consists of moving images from the 1910s to the 1990s. The video recordings in this collection cover a wide range of topics and include interviews and events featuring members of the Black Panther Party, Malcolm X, and Angela Davis. The collection also includes a few short documentaries on housing and architecture in California and the social movements of the 1960s.