Unique Indexes and Files
To help our researchers, we have created several one-of-a-kind files that contain information on people and events in California history. Many of our important files are listed below. If you have questions about these resources, please feel free to ask us a question.
California Information File
This massive card file contains 1.4 million references compiled by the California History Section’s librarians to newspaper, periodical, book, ephemera and manuscript collections up through 1985. It is not online. If you cannot visit the State Library to use it, you might be able to borrow microfiche copies of it from other libraries. For information about which libraries have copies, please check our Vital Statistics and Indexes Research Guide or California Information File (1846–1985) in Worldcat.
California Information File II
The California Information File II database continues the California Information File, which was closed and microfiched in 1985. It contains over 100,000 references to California people, places, events, and subjects as they appear in the California History Section’s collections. Though this database began in 1986, many of the items indexed in it are over 100 years old.
San Francisco Newspapers Index (1904–1949)
The San Francisco Newspapers Index provides approximately 1.8 million citations to the following titles in our newspaper collection:
If you cannot visit the State Library to use the index, you might be able to borrow microfiche copies of it from other libraries. For information about which libraries have copies, please check our Vital Statistics and Indexes Research Guide or San Francisco Newspapers Index (1904–1949) in Worldcat.
San Francisco Chronicle Index (1950–1980)
This file continues the San Francisco Newspapers Index and provides approximately 720,000 citations to California-related articles in the San Francisco Chronicle. As with our other indexes, if you cannot visit the State Library, you might be able to borrow microfiche copies of it from other libraries. For information about which libraries have copies, please check our Vital Statistics and Indexes Research Guide or San Francisco Chronicle Index (1950–1980) in Worldcat.
Biographical Files
If you are researching a California artist, early resident, author, actor, musician, state official, World War I soldier, or other notable this is a good resource to check. Our biographical files usually contain basic information, newspaper articles and sometimes personal letters. To see for whom we have files, please check the California Information File and the California Information File II.
Pioneer Card File
Listing California pioneers who arrived before 1860 or their direct descendants, this file contains biographical information and vital statistics on many early Californians. To see for whom we have cards, please check the California Information File and the California Information File II. If you cannot visit the library to view this collection, you might be able to borrow a microfilm copy of it from other libraries listed on Worldcat or even view it online. For information, please check our Vital Statistics and Indexes Research Guide.
Other Indexes
We also house a number of other, third-party specialized publications including newspaper indexes, genealogy indexes, and a variety of other resources, some of which can be accessed remotely. Please consult our ask us a question.