The California Room is a collection of books, maps, files, and other items on California history with emphasis on the history of San José and Santa Clara County.
Resources in the California Room
- Aerial Photographs - Historical aerial photographs of the greater San José area
- Census Records - County census rolls 1860-1880, 1900-1930
- City Directories - Residence, family, occupation info 1870-1979
- Digital Collections - Digitized images from selected Library collections
- Maps - Sanborn Fire Insurance, street, topographic maps
- Music Collections Index - Index of sheet music at King Library
- Newspapers - Key titles and clipping files in the California Room
- Pioneer Papers - Essays on Santa Clara County history
- School Yearbooks - Middle schools, high schools, colleges
- Silicon Valley Information Center Collection Index - Valley company archives from 1986-1993
- Vital Records - Birth, marriage, death, obituary information
- Weather Records for San José - Official weather logs from 1906-1962
- Your Old House Research Help - Resources on the history of your house
What's New in the California Room 
In the history of San José, before the tech growth and boom from the 1960s to the present, the most significant industry in the Santa Clara Valley was in agricultural products. While the agricultural and horticultural production of the valley was limited before...
A common research topic at San Jose Public Library (SJPL) is about the birth of the Tech Industry in Silicon Valley. Much has been written on the subject, but recently a patron in the California Room inquired about how to locate original documents related to technology development in Silicon Valley. We...
Tour San Jose History
Experience San Jose's history like never before! View historic images from library collections while visiting the original locations.
www.scanjose.org
