Broom Collection | National Library of Australia (NLA)

Broom Collection

A sharp collection of 91 books and pamphlets on race, class, migration, and society in the Caribbean and Latin America. Gathered by sociologist Leonard Broom, it offers key insights into social change across the region, reflecting his influential academic work in the US and Australia.

Key items in the collection

The Broom Collection includes 32 books, 37 pamphlets, and 22 serial titles. Most of these works focus on the West Indies, Central America, and Latin America. The collection contains titles in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.

The materials explore topics such as:

  • Race and class relations
  • Migration
  • Urbanisation
  • Other aspects of modern society in the Caribbean and Latin America

Some examples of publications in the collection are:

About Leonard Broom

Leonard Broom (1911–2009) was born in Boston, USA. He graduated from Boston University and Duke University.

Academic career

Broom joined the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1941. Between 1953 and 1959, he was a Professor of Sociology and Anthropology there. He then became Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas from 1959 to 1971. After that, he worked as Professor of Sociology at the Research School of Social Sciences at The Australian National University from 1971 to 1976. After retiring, he returned to California.

Publications

Broom wrote or co-wrote many books and articles on a wide range of topics. Some of his books include:

Background to the collection

In 1976–77, a small collection of books, pamphlets, reprints and serials was purchased from Broom.

Some of the items in the Broom Collection have been catalogued and integrated in the general collection. The others are pooled at NS18775 – NS18820.

Page published: 14 Jul 2025

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