The Sacramento Room is excited to announce the recent digitization of the Patricia Dunsmore de Carrillo Photograph Collection (MC 132), a series of over 300 35mm color slides that document events within Sacramento’s Mexican and Native American community, primarily at Southside Park in 1979 and 1980. De Carrillo’s images capture the Royal Chicano Air Force’s creation of murals that now cover Southside Park’s original WPA amphitheater, community events like Festival de Colores, 16 de Septiembre, Breakfast for Niños, poetry reading at D-Q University, and the activism of American Indian Movement co-founder Dennis Banks. You can view the de Carrillo Collection and the entire panorama of the Sacramento Room’s digital collections at the link below. We welcome any questions, comments, and input to
Sacramento Archives Crawl (October 5 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
Join us for the 14th annual Sacramento Archives Crawl as the
Central Library's Sacramento Room, the Center for Sacramento History, the California State Archives, and California State Library open their doors to celebrate this year's theme, "Pastimes Preserved: Sports and Leisure in the Archives." A shuttle bus will deliver crawlers from venue to venue for behind-the-scenes tours, a scavenger hunt, theme-related programs, a deep look into unique archival collections, and a chance to win prizes - at Central Library - from Fleet Feet, RC Country Hobbies, REI, Mike's Bikes, and many more action-oriented partners.
As part of the 2024 Sacramento Archives Crawl, join us at 1 p.m. at Central Library as sports historian and author Tom Crisp will take you on a deep dive into some of the more obscure yet fascinating chapters of Sacramento Sports as he talks about the World War II McClellan Field baseball team - the Commanders, the Sacramento Trolley League, and Sacramento's first professional basketball team, the Sacramento Senators.
This event is free and no registration is required.
The Folsom Prison Bloody 13: THE BIG ESCAPE OF 1903 (October 12 at 1 p.m.)
Join us at 1 p.m. in Central Library's Sacramento Room as historian Josh Morgan presents content from his new book "The Folsom Prison Bloody 13: The Big Escape of 1903." Morgan's historic odyssey all started with a letter he found in his family archives, and story his grandmother told at the dinner table that no one was sure was true. Morgan will introduce you to prison life in early California and then introduce you to the cast of characters behind Folsom Prison's biggest escape ever. He'll take you into the gold country for gun battles with posses who rode out after the escapees, and tell you about who came back, and who didn't.
D.O. Mills: The Man Behind Sacramento's First Banking Empire (October 19 at 1 p.m.)
Join us at 1:00 pm in the Sacramento Room as American River College professor of Humanities Michael Harlan introduces us to Darious Ogden Mills, the mind behind Sacramento's first banking empire. Harlan will address Mills' amazing life, the hazards attached to Gold Rush banking, and the path that led Mills' business to the grand structure that still graces the corner of Seventh and J streets.
Room Access
A simple set of rules has been implemented to research the room.
Review the rules and learn about photocopy and digital scan procedures. See updated
hours of operation.
Digital Collections
Full and open access to digital images of photographs, periodicals, ephemera, yearbooks and directories.
Sacramento Collection
Books, periodicals, maps, ephemera, postcards and photographs documenting more than 150 years of Sacramento County’s social, cultural, religious and political history.
Special Collection
Rare books that have been removed from general circulation over the years for preservation purposes, but are of continuing value and interest. This collection contains first editions, items with notable illustrations, and many volumes that have been part of the Library collection since 1879.
Archives
Records of enduring value, including architectural blueprints, accession books, reports, scrapbooks, photographs, book catalogs, policies and procedures and public relations material chronicling Library history back to 1857. Find information on specific collections
here.
Internet Archive
Take a look and listen to digitized audio and moving imagery from the Sacramento Room collection, covering everything from the Royal Chicano Air Force to the redevelopment of Sacramento’s West End to the Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant to the always entertaining creations of the Sacramento Amateur Movies Makers' Club.
Digital Sanborn Maps
Research local history with city plans and maps dating from 1867-1970.
California Collection
Encompasses the history of the state with emphasis on Northern California. The collection features in-depth county histories, biographies of prominent figures in all aspects of California history, and information on the natural, cultural and social history of the state.
Printing and Book Arts History Collection
Depicts the history of books, including printing, binding, papermaking, type design and illustration. This collection has many examples of printing by fine presses throughout the world.
Sacramento Area Authors Collection
Includes books published by authors who have close ties to the Sacramento area.
Sacramento Musicians and Songwriters Collection
Includes published recordings by local musicians and sheet music by local composers and lyricists.
Pamphlet Files
File folders containing news clippings and short articles on hundreds of local history topics.