Library Guides: Searching for images at The Bancroft Library: Home

The basics of image research at The Bancroft Library

Class of 1914 Senior Pilgrimage at base of Campanile., UC Berkeley campus events, UARC PIC 4:309 Courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

The Bancroft Library has extensive collections, many of which are available for research. Though not all of our images are accessible online, many Bancroft images are discoverable using online tools.

Researchers can learn more about The Bancroft Library’s collections by searching UC Library Search, UC Berkley's online catalog. Most of our collections are not cataloged at the image level, however many of our collections have finding aids, which list items at the container, folder or item level. If there is an online finding aid, you will find a link in the catalog record in the "links" section. All of our online finding aids are accessible via the Online Archive of California. Other finding aids are available only in the library.

Berkeley Library Digital Collections

The Berkeley Library Digital Collections database allows a researcher to search for images across the various UC Berkeley digital collections in one spot. It has a vast variety of materials represented: newspapers, photographs, maps, historical documents, etc. You can start your search here.

You can browse the collections or start a new search. This database does have an easy download capability if you find an interesting image.

UC Library Search

UC Library Search
This is the most comprehensive location for searching Bancroft collections. UC Library Search has all available collections summarized. From there, you may need to do further research to figure out what is within each collection. You can do this with the use of a finding aid, if one exists for that particular collection. The UC Library Search record will either link to an online finding aid or include a note that a finding aid is available in the library.

In UC Library Search, keyword searches can be limited by changing the default search "UC Berkeley Library and Special Collections." This is one of three search options on the right of the search bar. You can click on the magnifying glass to make the options show up, if they are not present already. The other two options are searching all libraries at UC Berkeley or searching all UC libraries.
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Pictorial collections in The Bancroft Library, for the most part, start with "BANC PIC" in the call number, then the year that they were accessioned. Pictures related to University history may be in the UC Archives and start with “UARC PIC”.

Calisphere

Calisphere: A gateway to digital collections
With this interface, researchers can keyword search digital collections from California libraries and archives. The site also has topic specific groupings of digital images.
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Searches can be limited to specific UC collections (i.e. UC Berkeley).

Images are not cataloged in detail. Simple keyword searches are recommended. Try separate searches on word and name variants, too.

The digital images on Calisphere may also be found on the Online Archive of California (OAC), but in Calisphere you do not have to enter and navigate each OAC finding aid. For collection context, look at “More Information” for the image, and click the link back to the collection description on the OAC.

It is possible to request duplication of images directly from Calisphere. There is an "order image" button at the bottom right of each image. This button directs you into our online requesting system, Aeon.

Other image sites

Bancroft's online exhibits and digital collections
Contains themed exhibits and links to the Research Projects within Bancroft and projects that Bancroft contributes.

Online Archive of California

Online Archive of California (OAC)
If online finding aids exist for Bancroft collections, they are found at the Online Archive of California (OAC). Researchers can find descriptions of images (and sometimes the images themselves) via finding aids. Finding aids are lists describing, to varying degrees, what is within a collection and where the material can be found. The finding aid may contain a detailed list of items, or just general summaries of box contents. Therefore, a finding aid may get you approximately where you need to be so you can request one or two boxes rather than browse an entire large collection. Researchers can limit their search to Bancroft or University Archives. While many Bancroft finding aids are on the OAC, others are paper listings only available in the library.
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The OAC provides free public access to detailed descriptions of primary resource collections maintained by more than 200 contributing institutions including libraries, special collections, archives, historical societies, and museums throughout California and collections maintained by the 10 University of California (UC) campuses.

Two popular finding aids for Bancroft image searches on the OAC are:

Fang Family San Francisco Examiner Photograph Archive Negative Files, circa 1930-2000

Portrait File of The Bancroft Library (to find the list of portraits, click on "Additional collection guides" then "list of contents.")

Research at the Bancroft

Visiting the Bancroft Library
Since most material is not online, you will probably need to do research in person in The Bancroft Library's reading room.
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Requests for collections need to be made in advance of your visit as many of our collections are stored off-site or are in cold storage. Off-site and cold storage collections take longer to become accessible in the reading room. Requests to view photographic negatives are by special appointment. To initiate this process (viewing photographic negatives) you can contact bancref@berkeley.edu

Please be aware of our Registration Policy and Conditions of Library Use before visiting. Find more formation about visiting the Bancroft Library at the following link:

https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/planyourbancroftvisit

Requesting duplication and permission

Information for requesting duplication and permission for Bancroft images
This link provides all the necessary information needed in order to set up an Aeon account (mandatory for requesting images and permission to use those images), services, prices and turn-around times.

Citations

Please cite Bancroft images in the following way:

[Identification of specific item], [Name of collection], [Call number of collection]. Courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

All pictorial collection call numbers are in the form of BANC PIC XXXX.XXX--XXX. University Archives call numbers are in the form of UARC PIC XX : XXX.

Contacts

Please use the contact list below for the correct person to answer your question:

For general inquiry contact bancref@library.berkeley.edu

For aeon setup/log-in issues, and other Aeon account questions contact banc-aeon@berkeley.edu

For Duplication specific questions contact lkirwan@berkeley.edu

For permission and image use questions contact scholcomm@berkeley.edu

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