It’s a happy day when I can spend a few hours reading old papers in the Bancroft Library. To me there is nothing that can compare to holding authentic original letters and manuscripts from days long past. On Thursday I got to spend the day at the Bancroft, looking through several boxes of the Bidwell Family Papers.

I have a special affection for the Bancroft Library. When I was a student (many, many years ago) at UC Berkeley, I got a work-study job in the library, and I was lucky enough to be assigned to the manuscript division of the Bancroft, down in the basement, where I sorted and labeled and organized collections of minor figures in California history.

The Bancroft is the primary special-collections library of the University of California, Berkeley. It holds a vast collection of books and manuscripts on the history of California and western North America. Added to that are a rare books collection of medieval manuscripts and early printed books, Egyptian papyri, the Mark Twain Papers, and the papers of other famous California writers. What a treasure house!

If you would like to do some research at the Bancroft Library, you can. Take a look at their website. Everything you need to know is there. Nothing in the library can be checked out — everything must be consulted inside the library — and you must register before using the library. You have to make an appointment and request the materials that you want to look at a week ahead of time. Some materials are stored off-site and have to be retrieved. Plan ahead.

And then you walk in, show your ID, get a little green slip of paper with your name, and sit down in a beautiful reading room. The librarian will bring your materials to you and you are on your way down the research road.