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The Collection
The Californiana Collection at the Rosemead
Library consists of over 19,000 books and over 200 magazine and
newspaper titles in paper and on microfilm as well as a collection of
videotapes. The goal of this collection is to present a complete picture
of the history, culture, environment and artistic expression of the people
of California and to some extent, the western United States.
The Record Edition of the Los Angeles Times, dating from 1881 to the present
is part of the Rosemead Library collection.
This collection is for reference use only but some materials can be
requested by other libraries for library use only. Access to the
collection is available during the Rosemead
Library's business hours. Visitors should come to the reference desk
first so that staff can provide access to the Californiana room.
History
The County Library has collected materials documenting the development of
California and Los Angeles County since it was established early in this
century. This has led to a collection called a "Hidden Treasure" by
Professor Michael Engh of Loyola Marymount University, but it has not
always been as accessible as it is now. For many years these materials
were scattered throughout the County Library's branches, making it
difficult for the customer interested in California history to conduct
research without having to travel the length and breadth of one of the
largest counties in the United States. Eventually, many of these materials
came to be housed in the basement of Rosemead Library. This was hardly
ideal as this basement is subject to flooding and is a forbidding place
for anyone wanted to access this collection. In 1980, planning began for
a new room to house this collection. On April 18, 1988, the new
Californiana Collection room was opened to the public at the
Rosemead Library. Sally Colby was appointed
the first Californiana Librarian at that time and was instrumental in
building this collection. After her retirement in 1996, David Wysocki
served as the Californiana Librarian until August 2000. The current
Californiana Librarian is Beth Krupsaw.
Collection Highlights
- California Census Schedules from 1850 to 1910;
- Copies of The Alta California newspaper 1849-1891, as well as dozens of other 19th century newspapers from Gold Rush boomtowns, the Owens Valley and San Francisco;
- The Los Angeles Star newspaper 1851-1879;
- City Directories dating from the 19th century;
- Official city and county histories from the 19th and 20th centuries;
- Sanborn Fire Insurance Company maps of Los Angeles and San Francisco;
- Strong collections of materials on the Donner Party, California water projects, famous California crimes, Hollywood culture, biographies of Californians, pioneer narratives of the early days of California, and histories of this state written over the course of 150 years.
Questions We Get at Californiana
- Genealogy research.
- San Gabriel Mission, research for the official program and speech.
- Sanborn Maps for research on environmental impact report.
- The story of George Van Tassel and his
Integratron. (You can visit the Integratron web site at http://www.integratron.com)
Future of the Collection
Since the state of California is nearly synonymous with change, we will continue to purchase items that are descriptive of our state, its culture and environment as well as new perpectives on its history.
Be sure to take a look at Art and Artists of Californiana—Californiana Resource Center. This document focuses on Californian artists and their works.
Are you interested in California's Gold Rush history? Then, take a
gold rush tour - you'll find interesting articles and more!
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