The Glendale History Room at the Glendale Central Library contains books, photographs, pamphlets, maps and periodicals about Glendale and its history. Materials about neighboring cities and California as they pertain to Glendale, and books by local authors are also part of the collection. All materials are listed in the catalog, are for reference only and may not be borrowed. Some materials in the reading room are available for browsing, but most materials are in a closed stack area and must be requested.

The Glendale History Room is open by appointment. Please contact staff via email.

TELL ME: Stories of Migration to Glendale

The Library, Arts & Culture Department received both a California Humanities-For-All Project Grant and a California State Library California Listens grant that has enabled the Library to interview, record, and share the stories of community members and how they came to live in Glendale and surrounding communities. Click here to learn more about the Tell Me installation in ReflectSpace.

Online Collections: The Library, Arts & Culture Department has made much of its photograph, brochure, and oral history collections available electronically on various websites and databases. Read more about and access or digital collections.

Highlights of Glendale’s history: Read about the history of the Glendale Public Library/Library, Arts & Culture Department; or view a gallery of Glendale’s mayors, from the very first President of the Board of Trustees to our current mayor. Plus much more!

Help us add chapters to Glendale's past by sharing or donating your photos and documents. Read More>