City Engineering Department circa 1900.

City Departments send a variety of documents to the Library in order to make them available to the public. These documents range from environmental impact studies of planned new buildings to master plans for park and recreation facilities. Documents that are likely to have historical significance are cataloged as permanent additions to the Library collection. These documents are listed in iBistro, the Library online catalog.  Try subject searches such as: Housing Santa Monica,, Land Use Santa Monica, Santa Monica Census, Santa Monica Population or keyword searches for: Urban Renewal Santa Monica, City Planning Santa Monica, Santa Monica Homeless, Land Use Santa Monica.

Historically important documents cover many years and span a variety of topics.  Examples are: Assessment of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice in the City of Santa Monica; Land Use and Circulation Elements; Rent Control Charter Amendment; Report to the City Council of the City of Santa Monica on the Homeless in Santa Monica; Scenic Corridors Element; Santa Monica Pier Development Project; Kids in Santa Monica; Santa Monica Neighborhood Census, 1980; Demographic and Economic Profile of the City of Santa Monica; Draft Fiscal Year 1993-1997 Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy for the City of Santa Monica; Ocean Park Rezoning Plan; Pico Neighborhood Community Plan; Towards a Sustainable Landscape; Santa Monica Civic Center Specific Plan; Preliminary Report on Shoreline Effects of Proposed Island Shoreward of Santa Monica Breakwater.

The Library also maintains copies of the Santa Monica Municipal Code and City budgets from 1947 to the present. 

Documents are housed in the Santa Monica Collection Room.  The Library does not collect all City documents so please call Telephone Reference at (310) 434-2608 for information on the documents that are available or submit your request to Email Reference.

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