Santa Monica Collection Room

The Santa Monica Collection Room holds a specialized selection of primary and secondary sources that chronicle the history of the Santa Monica Bay region, Southern California and the rest of the state.

Located on the second floor of the Main Library, this is a non-circulating research collection containing approximately 4,000 items. It includes books, annual reports, directories, maps, pamphlets, City planning documents, yearbooks, ephemera, and more.

Access and Use

Public access to the Santa Monica Collection Room and microfilm is available by advance appointment only. Due to limited staffing, same-day appointments are usually not available.

• To make an appointment, please contact library@santamonica.gov.
• Appointments are limited to up to 1 hour.
• A librarian will be present duration of the appointment.
• Please use only pencils while taking notes.
• No food or drink (including water bottles) is allowed.

Materials may not leave the Santa Monica Collection Room. In order to protect and preserve the unique collections in the Santa Monica Collection Room, the Room is reserved for researchers using the local history materials housed herein.

 Visitors should consult the librarian before photocopying any material due to the fragile condition of many of these irreplaceable resources.

Obituary and Other Requests

Library staff process requests for obituaries from the Santa Monica Evening Outlook. Each request must include a surname, first name, and precise date of death that includes month, day, and year. Searches are limited to 3 obituaries per request. Recipients will receive emailed digital images of the obituary or photocopies via the U.S. Postal Service. This is a free service. Requests may be placed in person or by contacting (310) 458-8600.