Dig Deeper into San Diego with Rick Crawford: Tour the San Diego Central Library Special Collections

TL;DR

The San Diego Public Library's Special Collections department offers rare books, genealogy resources, and a collection of California history materials for research purposes.

Transcript

hi this is Rick Crawford the San Diego Public Library and we're up on the ninth floor of Central Library downtown we're going to take you to Special Collections the Jinyu we're in the reading room a special collection we have three different departments here we have rare books we have genealogy and we have a California Street collection and when yo... Read More

Key Insights

• 🎅 The Special Collections department at the San Diego Public Library consists of rare books, genealogy resources, and a collection of California history materials.
• 📚 The library offers computer access for referencing library resources, including databases and the library catalog, but not for internet browsing.
• 📚 The genealogy section has a large collection of books organized by state and offers free access to ancestry.com within the library.
• 👨‍🔬 While some genealogy materials are digitized, many materials still require physical research.
• 🦔 The Special Collections department includes unique collections, such as fare edge books, Edward Curtis photographs, and Babylonian clay tablets.

Questions & Answers

Q: What departments are located within the Special Collections department at the San Diego Public Library?

The Special Collections department consists of three departments: rare books, genealogy, and a California Street collection.

Q: Can visitors access the internet on the computers in the Special Collections department?

No, the computers in the Special Collections department are for referencing library resources only, such as databases and the library catalog.

Q: How can visitors access genealogy resources at the San Diego Public Library?

The library has a computer section specifically for genealogy research, where users can access ancestry.com for free. Additionally, there is a large collection of genealogy books organized by state.

Q: Are all genealogy materials digitized at the library?

No, while some genealogy materials are digitized and accessible online, there is still a significant amount of material that can only be accessed in physical books or through external internet sources.

Q: What resources are available for researching California history at the San Diego Public Library?

The library has a collection of city directories, Sanborn fire insurance plans, and maps for researching California history. They also have a collection of illustrated histories of San Diego and the journal of San Diego history.

Q: What are some examples of rare items in the San Diego Public Library's Special Collections?

The library's Special Collections include rare items such as a first edition Samuel Johnson Dictionary, a first edition Noah Webster dictionary, and a Bible from the 1200s.

Q: What are some examples of unique collections in the San Diego Public Library's Special Collections?

The library has unique collections such as a collection of fare edge books, a collection of Edward Curtis photographs documenting Native American tribes, and a collection of Babylonian clay tablets.

Q: Can visitors view and browse the catalog of the Special Collections department?

Yes, visitors can view and browse the card catalog for the Special Collections department, which indicates the location of books and resources within the department.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Special Collections department at the San Diego Public Library consists of rare books, genealogy resources, and a collection of California history materials.

• The department provides study areas and computer access, but the computers are only for referencing library resources, not for internet browsing.

• The genealogy section has a large collection of books, organized by state, and offers access to ancestry.com for free within the library.