LIBRARY INFORMATION

The Research Library is open to the public free of charge.

Contact the Access Services Supervisor & Cataloger:
Hannah Rogers, MLIS
805.653.0323 x 320
library@venturamuseum.org

The Library and Archives Collection

The Library and Archives houses a vast collection of resources pertaining to the history of Ventura County and its outlying regions. The collection spans the Chumash Indians, the Mission and Rancho periods, early settlement, commercialization, industrialization, to present times. For online access to finding aids for the Library and Archives collections, visit our Collections Page.

Blog

The Museum has launched several blog efforts, including MVC Then, which is a volunteer and staff collaboration that showcases the stories of our community. The blog features stories and resources available in the Library and Archives Collection.

Donations

The Museum Library accepts donations of books, periodicals, documents, and photographs that fall within our collecting priorities and guidelines. The library also accepts monetary donations in support of its mission to preserve and make accessible the history of Ventura County. You can donate online here.

Please note: Currently, all acquisitions are on hiatus. Please contact staff for more information.

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.

Staff

Deya Terrafranca, MLIS
Chief Collections Officer
805.653.0323 Ext. 320
dterrafranca@venturamuseum.org

Marcia Stock, MLIS
Cataloger Archivist
805.653.0323 Ext. 321
mstock@venturamuseum.org

Collections Overview:

  • Monographs, biographies, city and county directories, census records, voter indexes, court records, Assessor rolls, and property records
  • Manuscript archives, including personal papers and collections of individuals and families from around the county, as well as records developed by local government, corporations, clubs and organizations
  • County newspapers, with 13 titles depicting the history of the county, outlying regions, and evolution of the region’s newspaper industry since 1851:
    • Ventura Star-Free Press Image Collection · 1958–1981
    • Santa Paula Chronicle · 1888–1992
    • Santa Paula Review · 1928–1949
    • Santa Paula Times · 1993–2003
    • Moorpark Enterprise · December 30, 1915 – December 29, 1955
    • Oxnard Press Courier · January 7, 1899 – October 22, 1992
    • Santa Barbara Weekly Press · July 1869 – November 1873
    • Ventura Independent · April 16, 1896 – July 1903
    • Ventura Free Press · weekly, November 14, 1875 – December 1921
    • Ventura Free Press · daily, December 1, 1890 – June 27, 1891
    • Ventura Signal · April 22, 1871 – April 4, 1885
    • Ventura Vidette · June 4, 1889 – December 1890
    • Ventura Weekly Democrat · January 17, 1891 – December 1901
    • Los Angeles News · October 1, 1864 – May 15, 1868
    • Los Angeles Star · May 17, 1851 – December 18, 1874
  • Over 100,000 image prints and negatives including daguerreotypes, cyanotypes, tintypes, albumen prints, and glass plate negatives, as well as 3,300 historical postcards and 2,300 slides
  • 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), among others
  • Architectural drawings for residential, business, and industrial construction
  • Articles of Incorporation for Ventura County businesses and other groups, from the 1870s to the present
  • Over 425 oral history interviews, for which transcripts are available in the library
  • Vertical files that include biographical, clipping, and ephemera files
  • Indexes to the Museum’s Journal of Ventura County History, as well as other publications