The Library's Santa Monica Collection contains historical photographs and slides (Imagine Santa Monica), books and DVDS on Santa Monica, complete microfilm of the Santa Monica Evening Outlook newspaper, an online version of the Outlook for the years 1875-1916 and a selective index to the later years of the Outlook.

 Materials are available for check out as well as for research use in the Library. Images may be printed from the digitized Image Archives, and digital image files may be purchased. Copies may also be made or emailed from the Outlook microfilm reader stations in the Main Library.

Presently no definitive history of the Santa Monica Bay area exists. However, several early histories, pictorial histories, and general histories are available. General histories of the Los Angeles area, such as Harris Newmark's Sixty Years in Southern California or Short stories of Rancho Boca de Santa Monica by Daniel Marquez are also useful.

The local newspaper may provide the best history of the Santa Monica Bay area.  The newspaper had various names during its 123 year history: Santa Monica Evening Outlook, Evening Outlook, and Santa Monica Outlook. Evening Outlook or some variation of that name was used until 1987.  From 1987 through 1998 the newspaper was titled The Outlook. The Outlook ceased publication March 13, 1998.  More information on the history of Santa Monica may be located using the Santa Monica Index, the Library's online index to the Santa Monica Outlook or by consulting the online version of the Outlook for the years 1875-1916.