Berkeley History

Visit the Berkeley History Room!

Open Hours: Wednesdays 10am-1pm

To visit outside of open hours, please make an appointment by calling 510-981-6100 (and asking to speak with someone from the History Room) or by email.

Located inside the Central Library in the Southeast Corner of the 2nd Floor Historic Reading Room, the Berkeley History Room contains a non-circulating collection covering all aspects and periods of Berkeley history, including geography, politics, arts and architecture, people, businesses, organizations, and social groups. The collection includes printed books and other media about Berkeley as well as institutions and organizations in and around Berkeley, a clipping collection from various publications (mainly from newspapers and mainly from the 1920s to circa 2000), local newspapers and newsletters, local governmental and quasi-governmental publications concerning the area and local issues, as well as selected photographs, flyers, recordings, posters, maps, and City documents. The Berkeley History Room collection includes selected San Francisco Bay Area materials related to Berkeley history, and it maintains an archive of Berkeley Public Library history.

Click here to learn more about the mission, scope, and collection development policy of the Berkeley History Room.

Research Topics

Here are a few of the common reference queries and research topics we can assist with in the Berkeley History Room:

• Ancestral and geneological research via Ancestry/census records
• Housing and/or architectural research via Sanborn Maps
• Berkeley social, political, economic, and cultural history
• Public transit history in Berkeley
• Obituary searches

Special Collections

In addition to a large collection of books and other catalogued media which can be found in the Berkeley Public Library online catalog under "Shelf Location: History Room," the Berkeley History Room maintains a number of non-circulating special collections:

• Berkeley Public Library clipping files: A collection of newspaper clippings, flyers, and other ephemeral material documenting people, organizations, and events in Berkeley, California. Includes numerous biographical files and information on neighborhoods and institutions, organizations, and committees active in Berkeley. The materials are organized alphabetically by main topical area and are dated 1920-2005, with the bulk from 1980-2000. View a detailed finding aid for all collection contents and subject headings.
• Historic Map Collection: A collection of historical Berkeley maps. Includes multiple volumes of Sanborn Maps, tract and housing maps, ecological and topographical maps, census maps, and more. The materials are dated pre-1909 until the present. 
• Historic Poster Collection: A collection of historical posters and flyers. Posters relate to music history, arts and cultural events and festivals, political and 
• Berkeley Daily Gazette microfilm (1894-1984) 
• Berkeley Public Library history
• Berkeley High School "Olla Podrida" yearbooks (1943-), select Berkeley Junior High and Elementary School yearbooks, UC Berkeley "The Blue and Gold" Yearbooks (1886-2006)
• Underground/alternative newspapers such as Berkeley Barb, Berkeley Tribe, Good Times, East Bay Express, Herstory, and more 

Berkeley History Digital Links:

Digital Underground Press Collection

Berkeley Barb Online Archive

1938 reverse directory

1940 reverse directory

1944 reverse directory

Historic Berkeley photos

My House History

The Berkeley Revolution: Berkeley in the 1970s

Berkeley in the 70s

The Black Panther Party in Berkeley: A Brief History and Firsthand Accounts

Story on Ashby Brothers

Berkeley's camps

People & History Databases from the eLibrary