H332 California: Past & Present: Research Strategies

Make your research efforts count.

1. Watch these instructional videos for a more efficient and effective research experience:

• Introduction to Discovery: Simple Search
• Basic Research Skills
• Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
• Find Databases
• InterLibrary Loan
• Seven Steps to Successful Research

2. Ask Miss T. for assistance: 9 - 5 Mon. - Fri.; jtillman@masters.edu; 661.362.2201

Last updated March 2025.

Find resources on important cultural, political, economic, geographical, and social developments in California's past and present as well as California's Native-Americans, Spain's long colonial period especially the mission system, Mexico's rule, mountain men, the California gold rush, Asian immigration, environmental problems, California's participation in significant national trends since achieving statehood and more. 

For historical information about California use these search query patterns in the Discovery Catalog:

su:california history
su:california history To 1846
su:california 17th century
su:california 20th century
su:california colonial period
su:california spain history
su:missions spanish california history
su:california revolution
su:california world war I
su:california world war II

NOTE: "su:" tells the search engine to search in the Subject field for the ensuing terms, for example: california" AND "20th" AND "century".

For specific counties, cities, or place names use the same search query but replace "california" with the name of the county, city, or other place name.

su:kern 21st century
su:los angeles county history
su:san francisco 20th century 
su:sutter's mill history
su:el camino real
su:spain colonies california

For specific persons, events or topics use the name of the person, event or topic with or without "california" or related location either as a subject or a keyword search. Use the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) web site to identify good search terms.

"mountan men" california ["mountain men" must be searched as a keyword phrase; it is not an LC Subject Heading"; the nearest related subject heading is "frontier and pioneer life"]

"st. francis dam" [search as a keyword phrase]

"father junipero serra"

su:indians california civil war [use the subject headings "indians" and "indigenous peoples"; search "native americans" as a keyword]
su:california gold rush
su:los angeles aqueduct
su:asians immigration california
su:environment california
su:ecology california
su:land use california
su:california statehood
su:california geology
su:geomorphology california southern
su:california earthquakes
su:california fault lines
su:water supply california
su:mulholland william
su:japanese Internment camps california NOT su:juvenile [adding NOT su:juvenile will eliminate the many children's books in the catalog on this subject]

For General Background Information of California and related histories, use encyclopedias and dictionaries. Find them easily with this search query formula:

Last updated March 2025.

Library of Congress Classification System

LC Classification Outline Web site: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/lcco.html

D – History: General and Old World