Special Libraries

Federal Depository Libraries

The GPO provides a comprehensive directory by state of all U.S. Government Depository Libraries.

Grants/Nonprofit Resources

Foundation Center: a library books and periodicals on all aspects of nonprofit management and fundraising. Also offers free access to funding databases and the Internet. Librarians are available to provide assistance.

Historical/Genealogical Libraries

San Mateo County Historical Association and Museum: located in Redwood City, the archives contain a variety of materials pertaining to the history of San Mateo County, including books, photographs, newspaper clippings, documents, fine arts, letters, manuscripts, maps, memorabilia, pamphlets, posters, newspaper on microfilm, and some city and county government records.

National Archives (Pacific Region): the San Bruno facility has extensive microfilm holdings of value for genealogy research, including historical censuses and naturalization records. An extensive collection of federal documents in print and microform dating from 1850 is also housed there.

Sutro Library: the Sutro Library has one of the largest genealogical collections west of Salt Lake City with extensive resources for states other than California and basic resources for California. The California Section of the California State Library, Sacramento, has more materials for California history and genealogy.

Law Libraries

San Mateo County Law Library: Located in Redwood City, the library provides print and online legal resources to any county resident doing legal research. Librarians are available to assist users in using the resources, but cannot provide interpretation, opinion or advice. Borrowing is only available to lawyers, judges and law students.

San Francisco Law Library: Three San Francisco locations with online and print legal resources. Open to the public but only practicing members of the State Bar may borrow materials. Directional reference assistance is provided, but library staff is prohibited from interpreting any legal material or giving an opinion or advice.

Medical/Health Libraries

San Mateo Medical Center Library: maintains a collection of non-circulating books and journals in the general subject areas of health science, social work, psychology, psychiatry and public health. The public may receive reference services, but cannot check out books. Reach the library by phone at 650.573.2520.

Stanford University Medical Center Health Library: provides books and videos (some available also for check out), online databases, journals, listings of support groups, and trained reference associates to help with research. For those unable to visit the library, information packets may be provided by mail or fax.

Other

San Mateo Educational Resources Center (SMERC): a resource center for San Mateo County educators with professional books, educational journals, the ERIC database, Internet databases, CD-ROMS, and instructional materials.

United States Geological Survey, Western Region Center: a research agency whose mission is to provide geologic, topographic and hydrologic information to aid in the wise management of the nation's natural resources and to promote the health, safety and well-being of the people. The agency's different divisions are concerned with topographic information, water resources, conservation, geologic information (environmental, economic, experimental and marine), special research such as that performed at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, international activities such as technical assistance to developing countries and publications. The library, with one of the largest earth science collections in the world, is open to the public for reference use. Materials may be borrowed on interlibrary loan arranged through local libraries. The staff responds to inquiries made in person or by telephone or letter.

Sc[i]³: a unique partnership between the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the City of Sunnyvale to extend comprehensive accessibility to the PTO's information resources beyond the Washington, DC area for the first time to inventors, researchers and corporations in Silicon Valley, the Western United States and the Pacific Rim.