Black Gold Cooperative Library System
Black Gold Cooperative Library System
- Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
- Phone: (805) 543-6082
- Email: blackgoldhq@blackgold.org
- Website: https://www.blackgold.org/
The Black Gold Cooperative Library System began in 1964. Its mission is to enhance library service to a million people in an 8,000 square mile area by providing services to member libraries. Black Gold serves public libraries in the counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
Collections at this institution
Adobes in San Luis Obispo County Library Collection
From the mission days of the 1770’s to the mid-1800’s, adobe structures were the dominant building style. The clay soil of San Luis Obispo County is well adapted to the manufacture of adobe bricks and under the tutelage of Spanish Missionaries, the Chumash Indians became skilled adobe craftsmen. Unfortunately, the local climate with its moist coastal influence and seasonal freezing and thawing caused many of the adobe structures to crumble. With the arrival of the Pacific Coast Railway in the late 1870’s, wood became readily available and replaced adobe as the primary building material. As wood replaced adobe brick, the …
Institution: Black Gold Cooperative Library System
155 Items
African - Americans on the Central Coast
This collection focuses on those members of the Central Coast community who are of African-American heritage. The photos in the exhibit were collected by the members of the Black Gold Cooperative Library System Advisory Board. The African-American citizens in the various jurisdictions in the Black Gold region selected the photos each wanted to contribute to the exhibit. The choices were personal and varied.
Institution: Black Gold Cooperative Library System
139 Items
Asian/Pacific - Americans on the Central Coast
This collection focuses on those members of the Central Coast community who are of Asian/Pacific-American heritage. The collection is based on a photographic exhibit produced by the Black Gold System Advisory Board in 1995. The photographs were borrowed from a number of individuals within the Asian-American communities and local historical societies in the counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The photos portray the Chinese-American, Filipino-American and Japanese-American communities prior to 1949.
Institution: Black Gold Cooperative Library System
113 Items
Edson Smith Photo Collection
The Edson Smith Photograph collection contains nearly 1,500 early images of Santa Barbara County dating from the 1870s-1940s, many of which were collected by Santa Barbara native, and long-time resident, Edson A. Smith (1877-1947). The photographs capture historic buildings, adobes, houses, views of State Street, cultural landmarks, local dignitaries, and many events including early Fiesta parades, the arrival of the first Southern Pacific train in Santa Barbara in 1887, and the Santa Barbara Earthquake on June 29, 1925. Over 300 of the 1,500 images are online to view now; more coming soon.
Institution: Black Gold Cooperative Library System
3,159 Items
Hancock Collection
Allan Hancock lived from 1875 to 1965. The Hancock collection shows photos of Allan Hancock, Allan Hancock’s family, and Allan Hancock’s contributions and influences throughout his life and career. There are pictures of his mother Ida, his son Bertram, his daughter Rosemary, and his wife Marian Mullin Hancock. The collection also contains several photos of Hancock College of Aeronautics. Hancock was involved in both ocean research and flight training. The collection includes photos of the Velero II, Velero III, Velero IV, benthoscope, and benthograph used in ocean exploration and ocean photography. Additionally, the collection includes photos of trainers and cadets …
Institution: Black Gold Cooperative Library System
56 Items
Hispanics on the Central Coast - 300 Years of History
This collection is based on a photo essay depicting the contributions of Hispanic people to life of the community in the counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. This exhibit focuses on those Hispanics who, without recognition or great material rewards, helped to build the social and economic prosperity of this nation. This collection is based on a photographic exhibit that was produced by the Black Gold Information Center in cooperation with the System Advisory Board of the Black Gold Cooperative Library network. The photographs were borrowed from a number of museums and libraries and from individuals within …
Institution: Black Gold Cooperative Library System
123 Items
The Minerva Club Yearbooks, 1906 - 1947
The Minerva Club was founded in Santa Maria in 1894 as the Ladies Literary Society. In the late nineteenth century, the Santa Maria Valley was sparsely populated and largely undeveloped, leaving many of the area’s women lonely and starved for entertainment. The club’s members came together to socialize and sponsor programs that would be entertaining and enlightening. They also established the first lending library in Santa Maria, and have been instrumental in supporting the public library ever since. In 1906 they changed their name to the Minerva Library Club, in honor of their early member and Santa Maria Valley pioneer …
Institution: Black Gold Cooperative Library System
44 Items
Native Americans on the Central Coast
This collection focuses on those members of the Central Coast community who are of California Indian heritage. The original native people of the Central Coast region include the Tataviam from interior Ventura County, the Nicoleño from San Nicolas Island, the Salinan from northern San Luis Obispo County and the following branches of the Chumash Linguistic Family: Ventureño from Ventura County, Barbareño and Ineseño from Santa Barbara County, Obispeño from San Luis Obispo County and Cruzeño Chumas from the Northern Channel Islands.The collection is based on a photographic exhibit that was produced by the Black Gold Cooperative System Advisory Board in …
Institution: Black Gold Cooperative Library System
128 Items
