California Room - Local History Collection
Welcome to the California Room! 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.
Updates
Hours
| 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 |
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.
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.
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.
History of Minor League Baseball in San Jose
Photos, programs, and memorabilia illustrate the history of minor league baseball in San Jose. On display through June 30, 2024
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
Latest Blogs
The Retro Tech Strikes Back!
San José Public Library's Retro Tech program enables library patrons to convert their analog media into digital formats.
Looking Back: Take Me Out to the Ball Game!
Ralph looks back at the history of minor league baseball in San Jose with a blog post and a small exhibit on display in the California Room.
Looking Back: Filipino Americans in Santa Clara Valley
Ralph explores the history of local Filipino Americans.
Pinoytown Rising: Filipino Americans in Santa Clara Valley
Available Sept 8 – Nov 30, this is an exhibit on Filipino Americans in San José and the Santa Clara Valley.
