Library Collections

The adult fiction collection consists of novels and short stories, as well as mysteries, science fiction, westerns, and romance novels.

Subjects in the adult nonfiction collection include technology, psychology, religion, science and health, cooking, the arts, sports and recreation, poetry and drama, geography and travel, and history.

Young adult fiction consists of novels for readers from grade 7 through grade 12. The fiction collection includes mystery, fantasy and science fiction titles as well as historical and contemporary novels. Nonfiction areas of interest include careers, poetry, pop culture, self-image and self-development, sports and writing. Teen magazines in both English and Spanish are available for browsing and checkout.

The children's section of the Central Library and each branch library have a number of collections for different age levels, including:

Fiction

Children’s fiction consists of novels for readers from grade 4 through grade 7, which are selected for literary merit and to meet diverse reading interests. Fiction includes the genres of mystery, fantasy, science fiction, historical, and contemporary stories. Children’s classics such as The Hobbit and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and contemporary classics including the Newbery Award winners are also found in this section.

Nonfiction

Books of information for ages pre-school through junior high are arranged in subject categories according to the Dewey Decimal System. The nonfiction collection also includes the literary categories of folk and fairy tales (j398.2), Mother Goose (j398.8), poetry, and plays. The nonfiction collection is a rich resource for browsing and school research.

Picture Books

Picture books can tell their stories almost exclusively through pictures and with very few words. Most often the picture book is intended to be read by an adult to preschoolers through grade 3 and can include an enriched vocabulary that youngsters can understand but not yet read themselves.

Readers

Intended for the first and second grade beginning readers, these books have limited vocabulary and few words, but offer the new reader a chance to follow a story on his or her own. The standard was set by Dr. Seuss’ classic reader The Cat in the Hat.

In-Between

In-between books are intended for the emerging reader who is ready to tackle a longer, more complicated text and vocabulary. Third and fourth graders are comfortable with the longer works, often called "chapter books."

Reference Books

There are many reference titles available to help with student homework and with the selection of reading materials. Up-to-date encyclopedias are kept at the Central Library and each branch library. Subject indexes are available that index picture books, fairy tales, fantasy, poetry and science fiction. The Central Library has an extensive reference collection that includes reference sets about authors, endangered animals and historical literature. The collection also includes individual titles about specific topics, such as famous people or California missions, of interest to children or parents.

Magazines

Children’s magazines in a variety of subjects are ready for checkout. These range from Highlights to Ranger Rick to National Geographic World. Current issues may be read in the library and older issues may be checked out.

Audio Visual Material

The Santa Barbara Public Library System has audio visual material for children, with formats including audiobooks, music CDs, and DVDs. For younger children, there are book-and-media sets that allow the child to follow along in the book while listening to an audio recording.

Spanish language materials for adults and juveniles include books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and fotonovelas, and are available for checkout at the Central, Eastside, Carpinteria, Solvang, Goleta, and Buellton libraries. Materials cover a wide range of popular subjects such as fiction, health, sports, cooking, citizenship, music, learning English, personal growth, and family issues. The Eastside Library has the largest quantity of materials in Spanish.

Audio and video materials in the Santa Barbara Public Library System include books on CD, music CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays. The music CDs range from opera to rock, and include folk, pop, jazz, rap, classical, and children's recordings. The DVD collection offers new and classic film releases, as well as documentaries, television series, and foreign language titles. 

The Santa Barbara Public Library System offers a wide range of downloadable eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, & streaming videos. View more information about the Library's downloadable and streaming services.

A variety of newspapers are found at branches throughout the Santa Barbara Public Library System. The collections include local community daily and weekly papers, as well as selected newspapers from major cities. The Central Library also has several regional titles available on microfilm, including the Santa Barbara News-Press (1875 to current).

Popular reading magazines are part of collections at every Library location. Print copies are available for checkout, and other titles can be found electronically through the RBdigital magazine collection.

Black Gold Digital Collections

Hundreds of historic photographs from the Black Gold Cooperative Library System are available to view online. Collections include "Adobes in San Luis Obispo Country Library," "Hispanics on the Central Coast - 300 Years of History," and more.

Edson Smith Photograph Collection

The Edson Smith collection of historic photographs of Santa Barbara shows views of local residents and structures from the 1880s to 1920s. There are over 1,400 negatives available for borrowing in order to duplicate for publication or research. The Edson Smith collection is located at the Central Library; please ask a member of the Library staff for assistance. Select images are also available to view online with a keyword search for "Edson Smith Photo Collection" in the library catalog.

Foundation Center Collection

The Santa Barbara Public Library is a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center. The collection provides information on foundation and research funding, applications and guidelines. The print collection is located at the Central Library for use within the building. Aimed primarily at non-profit organizations, information includes current directories, information on specific grants and indexes by topic or organization, and is national in scope. Access to Foundation Center Online is available only at the Central Library.

Government Documents

The Central Library's collection consists primarily of local city and county documents, including current Grand Jury reports, Santa Barbara City Council agendas and budgets, and Santa Barbara County agendas and budgets.

Large Print Materials

Books in large print for both adult and juvenile patrons are available at the Central Library and most branches.

Local Author Collection

Santa Barbara Central Library maintains a Local Author collection of independently published or self-published authors. Authors are Santa Barbara County residents, or the book is set in Santa Barbara County, or otherwise demonstrates a strong local interest, and is appropriate for a popular collection.

Please complete the Local Author Submission Form to have a book reviewed for the library's collection.

Local History Collection

Books and bound periodicals of interest to readers and researchers of Santa Barbara are available for use within the Central Library. Materials include Santa Barbara City directories from 1875 through 1989, biographies of local figures, family histories, and monographs on local places and events. A local history database is maintained at the Central Library.

Telephone Books

The telephone book collection at the Central Library includes only local areas.To access an online nationwide telephone directory, click here and enter your library card number when prompted.

In addition to English and Spanish, the Central Library maintains a collection of books in selected languages. Books are primarily works of classic literature and award winning fiction. The collection is located on the Main Level of the Central Library and consists of works in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Russian.