Welcome! This guide provides an introduction to starting your research on Central Coast and San Luis Obispo County history. It is intended as a resource for Cal Poly students, faculty, and staff as well as the broader community. 

Use the tabs on the left to navigate through the pages in this guide. 

If you have questions or edits, contact Laura Sorvetti, Special Collections and Archives.

These slides were created for the Fall 2020 Architecture 251 and can serve as an introduction to doing research on SLO history.

While the Special Collections and Archives reading room is currently closed to the public, Special Collections and Archives staff continue to offer remote reference support and you can access our digitized archives online. 

You can reach us via email (archives@calpoly.edu) and you can schedule an online appointment to meet with staff on Zoom to get help with your research.

Archives Instruction Sessions: Special Collections and Archives offers remote synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Contact Laura Sorvetti at lsorvett@calpoly.edu.

Campus and Library updates: The library has put together an informational page on accessing library resources and services from remote locations. For more university-wide information, check out Cal Poly's COVID-19 webpage.

In July 2020, Special Collections and Archives co-presented with the San Luis Obispo History Center an introduction to doing research online. 

Presentation Slides:

Video recording:

C-SPAN Cities Tour

History Center's Downtown San Luis Obispo Walking Tour

History Center's "The Darker Side of San Luis Obispo"