San Jose Public Library Collection
Owning Institution: San José Public Library, California Room
About this Collection
The San Jose Public Library Collection chronicles more than a century of growth starting in 1880. The one-room “Free” San Jose Library opened in the Murphy building on what is now Post and Market Streets in 1880. Between 1882 and 1970, the library occupied five different locations until the construction of the Main Library. The branch system had its origins in the establishment of the Grant School Library in 1909, and quickly expanded in the post-World War II boom. By the time the San Jose Public Library moved into its new facility on West San Carlos Street in 1970, the library managed nine branches throughout the city's expanding neighborhoods, with plans for seven additional branches. The San Jose Public Library continued to grow and in 2013 operates twenty-two branches in addition to the main Martin Luther King, Jr., Library on East San Fernando Street. View this collection on the contributor's website.View our statement on digital primary resources and historical description.
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