California Room – Local History Collection

California Room - Local History Collection

The California Room collects materials on California history with an emphasis on San Jose and Santa Clara Valley. Our collections are non-circulating and may be visited at the King Library.

New Hours Starting Aug. 26

As part of the City of San José’s 2026-2027 Adopted Operating Budget, the California Room will transition to a new operating model.

Beginning Wednesday, August 26, public access hours will change from 38 hours per week to 16 hours per week. The new California Room hours will be:

  • Wednesday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Thursday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To maximize availability of the materials and resources available through the California Room, members of the public may request a research appointment with library staff via webform to support their research needs on a first-come, first-served basis as staffing capacity allows.

Current Hours

Through Tuesday, August 25.

  • Monday: 1 p.m to 6 p.m.
  • Tuesday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Thursday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Friday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Saturday: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Sunday: Closed

Holiday Closures

California Room Appointments

Latest California Room Updates & Blogs

California Room Update

Aug 19, 2026
Starting Aug. 26, the California Room’s operating hours will change to 16 hours per week, with research appointments available.

A New Era for Women’s Hockey in San Jose

Let's welcome the San Jose PWHL team to our city and get a history lesson on Women's Hockey in the Bay Area.

San Antonio: From Street to Paseo

We know it as a paseo, a plaza, or a pedestrian walkway that intersects eight blocks of central Downtown San Jose. Learn the history today!

Top Collections

School Yearbooks

This collection includes yearbooks from high schools, middle schools and universities within Santa Clara County.

Photographs

The Historic Photograph Collection includes over 2,500 historical images focused on San Jose and Santa Clara County.

Newspapers and Clippings

This collection includes clipping files, scrapbooks and microfilm of area newspapers.

Directories, City of San Jose and Vicinity

City directories for San José, San Francisco, and others in print, on microfilm, or online, Haines Criss Cross directories, and phone books.

California Room Index

The California Room Index contains citations that are not found in the Library Catalog, opens a new window, including Maps, Newspaper Clipping Files, Primary Resources, Scrapbooks, Vault Items and more!

For assistance with the California Room Index, visit us in-person at the California Room or give us a call 408-808-2167.

New & Featured Resources

Newsbank: San José Mercury Historical & Current Collection

(1884-2024) Digital access to archived issues; full-page scans include articles, obituaries, classifieds, and other advertising.

Bay Area Comics and Comix Exhibition

Jun 1st - Sep 30th | All day
Explore the rich Bay Area history of cartooning, comics, graphic novels, and more at King Library’s California Room.

Historic Media & Text Archive on Internet Archive

Browse our audiovisual and text collection, including documentaries, radio spots, TV news features, local publications, and more.

Research Guides & Resources

Address

150 E San Fernando
San José, CA 95112

Contact

408-808-2167

Manager

Kyle Burkett
kyle.burkett@sjlibrary.org