Local History Resources Available at the Alameda Free Library
Local History Resources Available at the Alameda Free Library
The Alameda Free Library holds a broad range of local materials, including books, articles, documents, pamphlets, maps, and microfilm. All items in these collections are located on the second floor of the Main Library and are for in-library use only. Please ask staff for assistance in locating items.
Resources include the following:
Alameda Collection - Books about Alameda; City of Alameda documents (such as reports, planning documents, budgets, municipal code); Alameda history articles written by Woody Minor; and current newsletters from the Alameda Museum and the Alameda Architectural Preservation Society.
Californiana collection - Antique or significant nonfiction books related to California and the Bay Area, as well as classic works of fiction set in California.
City Directories and Telephone Books - City directories for Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda (1869-1877 on microfilm, 1877-1943 in hardcopy, and most local telephone books from 1935 to 2013).
High School Yearbooks - Alameda High (Acorn) 1902-present and Encinal High (Horizon) yearbooks 1956-present. Selected volumes from Saint Joseph Notre Dame (Reflections).
Local Authors Collection - Selected works by authors who have resided in Alameda. Includes fiction and nonfiction, with some books about Alameda.
Maps - Maps of Alameda from 1854 to present are arranged by decade and include a chronological list.
News Clipping File - Articles clipped from local papers (Alameda Times Star, Alameda Journal, etc.) and arranged by subject. Most articles range from the 1950s to 2003. Obituaries for prominent residents may be found in the Biography file.
Newspapers and Magazines - Early local papers on microfilm include The Argus, The Encinal and Evening Times Star. The Alameda Times Star and Alameda Journal are also on microfilm through 2012. Request bound volumes of the Alameda Sun (2001-2023) or Alameda Magazine issues (2002 – 2020) from the Reference Desk.
For additional resources like property records and archives related to City departments such as Fire, Police, and Health, check at the nearby Alameda Museum.