SJLibrary.org, a collaboration of San Jose State University and San Jose Public Library system.

Biographies

• Biographies on Historic Persons — Biography Collection Complete

Find biographical articles on noted figures from history.

• World Book Student

Biographies that you can find by name, occupation, gender, nationality, time period, etc.

History

• History Reference Center

Find the information you need on the history of the U.S. and other places from ancient times to the present with content from books and encyclopedias.

• Historic Sanborn Maps for San José and Other California Locations, 1867-1970

Especially useful for home research, planning, preservation, genealogy, historical research and more, each Sanborn fire insurance map includes outlines of each building and outbuilding, street names, property boundaries, natural features and much more.

• See all SJPL Databases

Anyone may access this database online from anywhere:

• King Library Local History Digital Collections

These online collections document the history of Santa Clara Valley from its agricultural beginnings to the formation of Silicon Valley.

• Artists
• Biographies

• Inventors
• Presidents

• Scientists
• Supreme Court Biographies

• California History
• Local History Resources

• Neighborhood Preservation
• San José History

• Santa Clara Valley History

• African American History
• Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
• U.S. Cultural History
• U.S. History Documents

• U.S. History Primary Sources
• U.S. History Research and Maps
• U.S. Presidents

• 1607-1789:
• U.S. Colonization & Independence
• 1849-1876:
• U.S. Civil War & Reconstruction

• African History
• Ancient History
• Asian History

• English History
• Islamic History

• Medieval World
• World History Research

Quick Search by Subject:

Book Search

Find books in San José Libraries by using the Catalog search at the top of every page.

eBooks:

• eBooks from net Library

Anyone may access these eBooks in the Library, but access away from the Library requires an SJ Library card number and PIN. — For ebook assistance, see Who To Contact for More Help.

• Downloadable eBooks and eAudiobooks from Overdrive

These are available to all SJLibrary card holders outside the Library; not available on any Library computers.

• California Missions eBooks

Text-based ebooks on the history of each California mission (including "Make Your Own Model" instructions) that are delivered and read 1 page at time while you are online. Anyone may access these eBooks in the Library, but access away from the Library requires an SJ Library card number and PIN.