Current Library Collections
The Library at Stanislaus State works in partnership with the Center of Portuguese Studies to preserve and disseminate the culture, language and history of the Portuguese-American community of the Central Valley. The library has a well-established collection of publications and archives that have become renown amongst researchers throughout the United States.
Two such publications are "Stories of California Azorean Immigrants An Anthology of Personal Life Sketches" and Azoreans to California: A History of Migration and Settlement. Both of these reports were written by Robert L. Santos, the Librarian/Archivist for Stanislaus State for many years.
The Manuel Dias Special Collection is housed in the Library at Stanislaus State. Dias was a photographer in the military and later for the Modesto Bee. His passion for photography led him to not only photograph news events but also document the major events in the life of the Central Valley and the Portuguese-American community in particular. His collection of photographic history of the Central Valley spans 50 years. Dian donated hundreds of photographs, negatives and slides to the Library of Stanislaus State before he passed away. Many of his photographs have been digitized and are available online. This Manuel Dias Photographic Collection is the first special collection in the Portuguese Archives of this University.
Updated: June 23, 2023