Magazines & Newspapers Center - 5th Floor

May 1- June 15, 2025 

Important information about access to bound magazines collection 

We are undergoing a major collection move to offsite storage beginning May 1st and lasting until approximately June 15th.  Access to bound magazines will be limited.  If you are planning a research visit, please contact the Magazines & Newspapers Center at 415-557-4453 or email mnc@sfpl.org to determine availability and options. 

The Herb Caen Magazines and Newspapers Center holds thousands of magazines and newspapers from the past to the present, along with San Francisco City Directories and telephone books.

Collections and Resources

• eMagazines & eNews. Electronic databases containing news and magazines from all over the country.
• San Francisco Bay Area Newspapers on Microform
• International newspapers and magazines in the SFPL Catalog
• Bay Area City Directories
• Historical Digital Newspaper Collections. Includes full-text digital scans of historical newspapers from San Francisco, California, and the entire U.S.
• Obituary-Related Resources
• Obituary Search Request Form (Death Notices)
• San Francisco Community News Websites. A collection of archived websites from local and community newspapers located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Digital Reader/Scanners: The Magazines & Newspapers Center has digital reader/scanners for use with microfilm and microfiche. The scanners allow for browsing, reading and capturing digital images from microforms. Scanned images may be saved to your USB drive or emailed to your account. No appointment is necessary to use the reader/scanners, and staff are available to assist.
• How to Research a San Francisco Business
• The SFPL Magazines and Newspapers Center Blog: Discusses all manner of topics celebrating magazines and newspapers. Updated weekly. Bookmark it and visit often.