History: America: Bancroft Library

The Bancroft Library is one of the treasures of the campus, and one of the world's great libraries for the history of the American West and Mexico.

Some Bancroft materials are available online via Calisphere, which also includes primary sources from many other California libraries and museums. Bancroft also maintains additional digital resources.

Before you go:

Be prepared! Read secondary sources and know something about your topic.

Register as a researcher. Registration is free and takes just a few minutes using the Aeon online registration form to register in advance. For more information, see the Aeon guide.

In UC Library Search you can narrow your search to UC Berkeley special collections and archives. As you type your search, options to search different parts of the Library system appear. Narrowing your search this way is also possible in Advanced Search.

Materials must be requested using Aeon. You must have an Aeon account to request materials. It is recommended that you request your materials in advance of your visit and to submit your requests at least one week prior to your visit to Bancroft.  For more information please visit the Aeon guide.

If the UC Library Search record mentions a finding aid (an index) to a manuscript collection, you should use it to help you find what you need in the collection.  If the finding aid is online, there will be a link from the catalog record.  Many of the finding aids that are not online are shelved near the Registration Desk at the Bancroft Library. You can also search for Bancroft finding aids in the Online Archive of California.

Before you go, plan your visit (and bring a quarter for a locker).

During your visit:

1. Store your belongings in the lockers provided, located on the right-hand side of the east entrance. Pass the security guard station and proceed up one level by stairs or elevator to the Reading Room and Seminar Rooms (3rd floor).
2. Check in at the Registration Desk, located on the left-hand side of the entrance to the Reference Center. You will need a photo ID.
3. Go to the Circulation Desk, where you will be assigned a seat and can request the materials you pre-ordered.  
4. For research-related questions, ask for assistance at the Reference Desk.

How to Get to the Bancroft Library

Check the current hours for the Bancroft Library.  For more information, see the Aeon guide.

The Bancroft Library is on the second floor of Doe, on the east side (the side closest to the Campanile). See a floor plan of Doe Library 2nd floor (pdf).