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 not be removed from the room. Many materials are unique and fragile. Special rules for handling are required for their preservation.
Due to staffing and the time involved, staff are unable to provide research assistance beyond simple lookups of indexed materials.
Monday 1 PM - 6 PM
Tuesday 11 AM - 6 PM
Wednesday 11 AM - 6 PM
Thursday 11 AM - 6 PM
Friday 11 AM - 6 PM
Saturday 1 PM - 6 PM
Sunday Closed
This source indexes materials not found in the library catalog including maps, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and research collections that pertain to people, places, and events in California, San Jose, and Santa Clara County history. The A-Z index is helpful if you are not sure of spelling. More about the Index
The aerial collection includes oblique and flyover aerials.
San Jose building permits in print, digitized, and on microfilm.
This collection includes city directories for San José, San Francisco, and other cities in print, on microfilm, or online as well as Haines Criss Cross directories and phone books.
This collection includes clipping files, scrapbooks and microfilm of area newspapers.
The Historic Photograph Collection includes over 2,500 historical images focused on San Jose and Santa Clara County.
This collection includes yearbooks from high schools, middle schools and universities within Santa Clara County.
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 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 Perspectives on Thanksgiving: It's Complicated.
Lisa Mejia
11/17/2022 - 8:09 AM
