**Important information about access to archival collections
We are undergoing a major collection move to offsite storage through 2024. Access to materials may be limited. Most of the archival collections will be delayed when retrieving from April 2024 to November 2024. If you are planning a research visit, please contact San Francisco History Center to determine availability and options.
Books, audio-visual materials, some archival collections, and most periodical titles are represented in the SFPL Classic Catalog. Other materials are not fully represented in the catalog, so patrons are encouraged to ask a librarian if they have questions about holdings.
- SFPL Classic Catalog: Books, audio-visual materials, periodicals, archival collections, and more.
- Online Archive of California (OAC): Guides to personal papers, City archives and organizational records, and manuscripts at the San Francisco History Center and the Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center.
- Digital collections: Books, periodicals, archives, photographs, maps, and more, hosted on multiple partner websites.
- San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection: Over 43,000 digital images online, with more being added each week.
- Biography and subject files: Hundreds of files on San Francisco people and topics. Online guides list folder headings that patrons can request.
- Paper card indexes, folder lists, and descriptive guides located in the San Francisco History Center. These guides provide access to additional periodicals and paper collections not represented in the catalog.