Research at the Archive: Research Collections
Explore our collections pertaining to Franciscan history and Missions and the communities they interacted with, especially in Colonial New Spain, Northwestern Mexico, and the Southwestern United States.
Many thanks to the Wood Claeyssens Foundation, Hutton Parker Foundation, Outhwaite Foundation, California Mission Foundation, and the Academy of American Franciscan History for their generous support of SBMAL's collections and programs.
Portions of the collections of the Provincial Archives of the Province of Saint Barbara are on the same property as the Mission Archive-Library, but are not curated by SBMAL.
For information concerning the Franciscan Friars on the West Coast since 1915, please contact: Franciscan Friars, Province of Saint Barbara, 1500 34th Ave, Oakland, California 94601 | (510) 536-3722 | info@sbofm.org
Register as a Researcher
Those who do research at the Mission Archive-Library are required to be Friends of SBMAL or Registered Researchers.
If your interest is a one-time inquiry or research project, becoming a Registered Researcher rather than a Friend might better suit your needs. Registering as a Researcher for $30 will get you access to the Archive-Library for six months. (Becoming a Friend of SBMAL, starting at $50, will get you access to the Archive-Library for a year.)
If you are a student with a current student ID, becoming a Registered Researcher is free, though donations are happily accepted! To register for free, please fill out this form. Please note that while registering is free, we do charge fees for remote assistance as outlined on our policies page.
Registered Student Researcher Scholarship Donors
We are always in need of those who can help us keep student research free. Those who donate more than $100 for the purpose of supporting our Registered Student Researcher program will automatically be considered Good Friends of the Archive-Library.
Use the checkout option below to pay online with a credit card. If you prefer, you may pay by check (made out to "SBMAL") and bring it with you to your appointment or mail it to:
Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library
2201 Laguna Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Please contact us at research@sbmal.org directly if you have any questions.