Historical Government Information - California - Government Information (California) - LibGuides at University of California, Santa Barbara

Major California Indexes

California State Library catalog

Start your research by discovering what has been cataloged and indexed by the California State Library (CSL).

California State Publications
This monthly listing of official publications received by the State Library from California governmental agencies is also available at UCSB Library in print for 1945–1981 (Main Library Z1223.5.C2 C15) and microfiche for 1982–2000 (Microfiche Z1223.5.C2 C15).
Index of economic material in documents of the states of the United States: California, 1849-1904
Index to reports published in the Appendices to the Journals of the California Legislature, 1905-1970

California state documents collections

UCSB Library is a complete depository for California state documents, and most of our collection is cataloged. Still, we don't have everything! In addition searching in UC Library Search, you can check out these collections to identify additional titles. If you need assistance obtaining the full text of any California document, Ask a Librarian!

Appendix to the Journals of the Senate and Assembly of the Legislature of the State of California.
San Francisco Public Library has digitized volumes of the Appendix for 1855–1931. Click "View Additional Copies" to see the full list. Additional volumes for 1913–1939 may be available at UCSB Library (Microfiche J87.C2 C34)
Center for Research Libraries catalog
UCSB Library is a member of CRL, and we can borrow most of their holdings via ILL. CRL collects monographic and serial publications of US state government agencies and legislatures from the earliest period through 1950, including financial reports and research studies. Excluded content includes internal agency newsletters, agricultural station publications, maps, and state court reports. Most of the collection is not cataloged; to identify resources, consult state publications checklists or contact CRL’s Access Services.

Other tactics

Remember to search UC Library Search and the secondary literature for your topic.
Searching a major news source can help you identify specific dates and offices of additional interest.
If you are researching a specific time period, check out the Appendices to the House and Senate Journals to find agency annual reports and other documents submitted for the record.
For unpublished materials and official records, start with Minerva (the online catalog for the California State Archives) and also check out OAC (links below).

UC Library Search (Advanced Search)
Books, journal titles, audio, video, microforms, and other items in the UCSB Library and other UC Libraries.
Minerva
The online catalog for the California State Archives

Online Archive of California (OAC)
Provides free public access to detailed descriptions of primary resource collections maintained by more than 300 contributing institutions including libraries, special collections, archives, historical societies, and museums throughout California and collections maintained by the 10 University of California (UC) campuses.

Additional guides

General guides to state government documents:

Manual on the use of state publications (Wilcox, 1940)
Selecting and organizing state government publications (Lane, 1987)
State manuals, blue books, and election results (Press & Williams, 1962)
Monthly checklist of state publications (Library of Congress, 1910–1994)

Thank you!

Thank you to the following California documents librarians who contributed resources for this guide!

Kris Kasianovitz, Stanford University
Gary Klockenga, San Diego Public Library
Ben Amata, California State University Sacramento
Bill Riddle, California State Library
David Cismowski, California State Library

Government Information (California): Historical Government Information - California

Major California Indexes

California state documents collections

Other tactics

Additional guides

Thank you!