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Blogs: Local History

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Latest Blogs

Beer Cheering

National Beer Day

National Beer Day is a holiday that recognizes and celebrates the third most widely consumed alcoholic beverage in the world - BEER!!!

SJ eLibrary
03/31/2023 - 8:03 AM

Books scattered everywhere with a primary book that contains a family tree and the Pressbooks logo.

eSpotlight - Pressbooks for a Family History Album

Use Pressbooks and SJPL history and genealogy resources to tell your story.

SJ eLibrary
03/14/2023 - 12:00 AM

Images: A few of my backyard visitors over the years; a raccoon, a possum, and a skunk. Photos by Ralph Pearce

Looking Back: Raccoons and Possums and Skunks, oh my!

Ralph looks at the wildlife that can be found in our San Jose neighborhoods.

Ralph Pearce
02/27/2023 - 9:00 AM

A green crate filled with matchbooks and tokens

Junk History: Rediscovering San Jose’s 20th Century Businesses

Discover San Jose's past with the California Room's Junk History exhibit. Available through Tue., May 16.

Shane Curtin
02/15/2023 - 3:30 PM

Ralph Pearce's grandfather William "Frank" Pearce with his horse on Pomeroy Avenue, Santa Clara in the early 1900s. Pearce family album.

Looking Back: The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

Ralph's 100th blog post looks back at the storied life of a Santa Clara Valley rancher.

Ralph Pearce
12/22/2022 - 5:30 PM

Late librarian Margaret Fitch in front of her famous puppet theater!

Dedication to a Librarian Who Lived and Breathed Library Service: Margaret Fitch

Late librarian Margaret Fitch was a truly dedicated librarian and Friend of the Library who left an indelible mark in her community.

Ila Langner
11/23/2022 - 10:00 PM

Native American books at library setting

Native Perspectives on Thanksgiving - Native American Heritage Month

Native Perspectives on Thanksgiving: It's Complicated.

Lisa Mejia
11/17/2022 - 8:09 AM

Image: A bicycle badge, Victorian trade cards and pins from local businesses. Photo by Ralph Pearce

Looking Back: 100 Years of Garden City Advertising

A new California Room exhibit displays advertising artifacts from 1890-1990.

Ralph Pearce
11/07/2022 - 9:00 AM

Image: Two Filipino American youths pose in front of Pacita Todtod's grocery store in San Jose's Pinoytown. Courtesy of Dorothy Quibelan Collection.

Looking Back: Filipino American History Month

The month of October honors the presence of Filipinos in the United States.

Ralph Pearce
09/22/2022 - 4:30 PM

Image: A neighbor surveys the damage following the explosion in San Jose's "Birdland" neighborhood on June 30, 1972. Photo from the July 1, 1972 issue of the San Jose Mercury News.

Looking Back: The Day My Neighbor's House Blew Up!

Ralph recalls an explosion that shook his neighborhood fifty years ago.

Ralph Pearce
07/25/2022 - 9:00 AM

Almaden Quicksilver

#PixinParks 2022 Almaden Quicksilver

Join SJPL Librarian, Brandy for an inside look into the Santa Clara County Park challenge #PixinParks.

Brandy Maldonado
07/18/2022 - 7:00 AM

SJ Story Map

SJ Story Map

The San José Story Map uses the power of stories to map San José in a new and different light.

SJWrites
07/09/2022 - 5:00 PM