Books & Periodicals
The Library houses more than 7,000 volumes pertaining to the history of Ventura County and its outlying regions.
Digital Photographs
The Library collection of over 100,000 positive and negative images depicts Ventura County from 1864 to the present. Image formats include prints, daguerreotypes, cyanotypes, tintypes, albumen prints, and glass plate negatives.
Manuscript Collections
The manuscript archive includes personal papers and collections of individuals and families from around the county, as well as records developed by local government, corporations, clubs, and organizations. It also includes photograph finding aids for items not yet digitized.
Maps
Map types include historical plat maps, boundary maps, topographic and hydrological maps (USGS), irrigation/ditch maps, right-of way maps (railroad and highway), and land case maps (court case exhibits).
Architectural Plans & Drawings Index
Collection includes the works of Roy C. Wilson (1918-2007); Wilson, Stroh & Wilson; and Stroh & Fickes.
Online Journal of Ventura County History
Digitized through a grant from California Revealed, the first 40 volumes of the journal are now online and searchable.
Journal Subject Index
The Museum has published an historical journal since 1955. Index to issues from 1955 to 1995.
Oral Histories Index
The Library houses tapes and transcripts of over 425 interviews with people recalling their own personal histories of Ventura County.
Master Biographical Index
The Master Biographical Index is made possible through the generosity of the James Maddux Family of Camarillo. This index presently contains references to over 19,600 names.
Biographical Vertical Files
The museum’s biographical files include clippings, ephemera, and research information related to county residents. The files are divided into two sections to include specific family folders and assorted files that may include several different families of the same last name. Files are available for perusal in the library.
Clipping Vertical Files
The museum maintains clipping files for a variety of subjects. The listing is an alphabetical list of the subject files that are house in the library. Files are available for perusal in the library.
Ephemera Vertical Files
Topics include events, geographic and architectural locations, local government, material and societal culture, natural resources, wildlife, communication, transportation, commerce, and industry. Files are available for perusal in the library.
County Newspaper Index
The Library houses many county newspapers and this index includes titles and date ranges for Museum held collections as well as others throughout the county.
Library Information
The Research Library is open to the public free of charge.
Contact the Acting Lead Librarian:
Hannah Rogers, MLIS
805.653.0323 x 320
library@venturamuseum.org
Museum Docents and Volunteers
Library projects are achieved through the generous efforts of the many docents and volunteers
who contribute invaluable time and expertise toward making Library materials accessible to the public.