The San Diego State University Department of Special Collections & University Archives houses rare, fine, unique, and valuable books, periodicals, manuscripts, and documents which require preservation, security and care in handling. Other valuable historical items such as photographs, prints, postcards, memorabilia, scrapbooks, and oral histories are also held in Special Collections. University Archives holds materials which document the history of San Diego State since its founding as a Normal School in 1897.
The San Diego State University, Special Collections and University Archives' digital collection at California Revealed consists of moving images and audio recordings from the 1960s to 1990s. The collection includes many oral interviews concerning women's rights, agriculture, and cultural movements of California, as well as several videos of performances by the San Diego Ballet Company.