California State Library
@castatelibrary.bsky.social
A leader, innovator, champion, and important source of trusted information to Californians and their libraries since 1850. We like books.
On July 11 Greg attended the ribbon cutting for Santa Ana Public Library's New Hope Branch, featuring a brand new Innovation Lab designed to provide hands-on STEM learning for all ages. Congrats on the new library and we wish many happy visit from your community members and beyond!
Go fish! We love hanging out in the library, but some of our materials encourage you to enjoy the great outdoors too. Track your catches of 150 species with the CaliforniaDFW Fishing Passport. nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler....
This episode of Shelf Life puts the spotlight on a CA Poet. In 1995, CA poet Ruth de Menezes gifted the State Library a small collection of her poems and papers. Her 2003 obituary noted “In the last decade she was honored by having her books chosen to be in the archives of California State Library.”
Greg on the Go! On May 15, 2026 Greg attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Imperial County Library Calipatria Branch. We are so glad Greg was on hand to celebrate this brand new library with the Calipatria community! Congrats and continued happy reading
The sirens’ call for librarians will always be more books.
Need a change from dumpster fires to literal train wrecks? 110 years ago, you could have witnessed the locomotive collision spectacle, a @castatefair event where people lined up to watch two trains collide. These images from the 1916 event show the railroad cars 🚂
Greg’s TBR pile is pretty eclectic! He shares here about reading a classic horror novel Hell House by Richard Matheson.
Come with us and you’ll be in a world of history and imagination! Teaming up with the CA State Capitol Museum for a short history of the State Library
Anne Hadden was a significant figure in the county library movement in CA. In 1913 Hadden became the first county librarian of Monterey County. During her time there she established 126 county library branches. The Anne Hadden Papers 1908-1953 collection is housed in the CA History Section.
Picture this- Shelf Life captures on camera this large Rochester Optical Premo B box folding camera from the late 1890s being processed in our preservation department.
Are you in your feels — World Cup over, autumn still so far away? Add this 1954 doo-wop single 'I Cried' by the Velvets to your playlist. This red record from Red Robin Records is part of our Sutro Library collection.
We’re proud to announce that Library Journal published “AI, Accountability, and Access: Notable Government Documents of 2024–25” featuring our CA Prison Press collection, one of several “standout selections” that made the ALA Government Docs Roundtable’s list www.libraryjournal.com/story/ai-acc...
AI, Accountability, and Access: Notable Government Documents of 2024–25
Standout selections from 2024–25, chosen by the American Library Association’s Government Documents Roundtable.
libraryjournal.com
Shelf Life's golden photo for the golden state. Our CA History collection has an 1910 orotone of Yosemite Valley's entrance. Orotones are printed on glass coated in silver gelatin emulsion, then the back is coated in gold pigment + banana oil (or 23k gold leaf) for a gold tone.
There may or may not be coffee involved...
From now until August 2026, come to Gillis Hall on the third floor of the 914 Capitol Mall building to see our three America 250 displays: Speeches that Defined America; Writings of the Founders; and the Constitutional Convention.
Summer views, make us feel fine! Sutro Library provides a little nostalgia this summer with a View Master, complete with 3 cardboard reels featuring Donald Duck, Chip and Dale and Uncle Scrooge
Congratulations to Sierra Madre Public Library on its grand reopening! A State Library Building Forward Library Infrastructure grant helped make this project possible. Building Forward is a program of the CA State Library, funded by the State of California. #BuildingForward
We hold these truths to be self-evident...on July 8 we hosted an in-person & livestreamed community reading of the Declaration of Independence, participating in a nationwide, simultaneous public readings of this historic document. Watch the full version at youtu.be/_6xm8tvWxWc
On July 9, 1776 after the Declaration of Independence was read to American troops in New York a group of revolutionary supporters tore down a statue of George III. This recreation correctly shows enslaved & free Black men performing most of the labor but dresses them in fantastic orientalized attire
Greg highlights the 43rd president George W. Bush, whose birthday was on July 6. And a shout out to fellow librarian Laura Bush.
Life's like a box of chocolates on #WorldChocolateDay Here's a candy box that celebrated the exposition on Treasure Island starting 1939. The top is covered in embossed foil w/ green, blue & silver & shows the exposition buildings & the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
Shelf Life pages through history with this 1776 edition of Common Sense by Thomas Paine from our Sutro Library.
Our Sutro Library collection houses some real gems of American history, like this 1776 newspaper with engravings by Paul Revere that describes the Boston Massacre. Note that each coffin included the initials of one of the fatalities of the massacre.
Join us for a community reading of the Declaration of Independence on Wednesday, July 8 at 3pm in Gillis Hall OR Virtually. We'll share the link on social media about 15 minutes ahead of time. For more info on the in-person event, head to libraryca.libcal.com/event/17133896
SACRAMENTO –With the Fourth of July holiday weekend fast approaching, Governor Newsom & First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom are reminding Californians to download a free Historian Passport and explore the largest and most diverse state park system in the country. www.gov.ca.gov/2026/07/02/c...
California State Parks pass programs reach major milestones during last week to download the free Historian Passport | Governor of California
gov.ca.gov
Join us for a community reading of the Declaration of Independence on Wednesday, July 8 at 3pm in Gillis Hall OR Virtually. We'll share the link on social media about 15 minutes ahead of time. For more info on the in-person event, head to libraryca.libcal.com/event/17133896
If a bear teleworks in the woods and there’s no one to read the resulting report, does it make an impact on state policy? This 1990 report on a successful state employee telework pilot project sounds eerily modern. Enjoy the time warp! delivery.library.ca.gov:8443/delivery/Del...
Disability Pride Month is observed every July to celebrate disability identity and community, mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and push for full inclusion in everyday life. The 2026 theme is “The World Works Better With Us.”
Happy Anniversary CA State Parks! Here's text from the 1978 resolution recognizing the Golden Anniversary of State Parks. While state parks were conceived in the 1860s, the CA State Parks bill establishing a state parks system was signed into effect in 1927, w/ a $6 million bond act passing in 1928
