SJLibrary.org, a collaboration of San Jose State University and San Jose Public Library system.

Archival Collections

• Faculty Publications: A group of works authored by San José State University faculty, staff, and alumni. The books are written in a wide variety of subject areas and date from the days of the Normal School into the current time period.



• John C. Gordon Collection of Photography: An extensive collection of photographic prints and negatives produced by a professional photographer of San Jose. Created in the early 1900's through about 1950, this collection is primarily focused on subjects and events taking place in Santa Clara County and nearby areas. Includes many photographs of the San Jose State College campus. Housed with this collection is the George E. Stone Portfolio of Photographs, the work of the late San Jose State College professor of photography. Please consult our fees and specialized services concerning the photographic collections.



• Ted Sahl Papers: This collection of approximately 6,000 photographs and negatives provides a continuous documentary of the South Bay gay and lesbian community from 1977 through 2001. This collection consists of local gay/lesbian newspapers and periodicals, some of which contain published photos and articles by Ted Sahl, newsletters, memorabilia, journalistic notes, and working drafts from his published work, From closet to community: a quest for gay & lesbian liberation in San José & Santa Clara County. The collection also includes audio-taped interviews of local gay and lesbian activists.



• University Archives: The record of publications, reports, furniture, artifacts, memorabilia, and an extensive collection of photographs of the university dating from its beginning. As San Jose State University was the first Normal School in California and the first public institution of higher education in California, these records have a special significance for research on the university, teacher education, and higher education in California. Many of the materials in the University Archives were donated by SJSU alumni, faculty and staff, which adds a rich personal character to the collection.



• Political Papers: This collection consists of the legislative papers and artifacts of retired Congressmen Don Edwards and Norman Mineta (first Japanese-American mayor of San Jose and most recently, Secretary of Transportation in the George W. Bush administration), and former State Senator Alfred E. Alquist. Edwards and Alquist have been processed and are available for use. Copyright Information concerning the Legislators' Archives should also be seen for restrictions on use. This collection also contains papers of politicians local to the Silicon Valley, former County Supervisors Rod Diridon and Dianne McKenna, as well as the papers of former San Jose mayor Janet Gray Hayes, and former vice-mayor and city council member Susan Hammer. You may want to consult a finding guide for the papers of Rod Diridon. The McKenna papers have been processed and are available for use. The remaining papers have been partially processed; unprocessed papers may be temporarily unavailable until processing is completed. Detailed finding aids for processed collections are available in Special Collections. Copyright Information concerning the Legislators' Archives is also available on this site.