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What's New? February 2026
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Book Arts & Special Collections and San Francisco History Center |
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Archivist Terry Baxter and photographer Tenari Tuātagaloa join moderator Adrienne Storey, City Archivist, to explore tattoos as personal archives—records of memory, identity and community that live on the body. Inspired by Baxter and Libby Coyner’s book Stories on Skin: A Librarian’s Guide to Tattoos as Personal Archives and the Library’s exhibition Living Tattoo Traditions: American Irezumi and Beyond, the conversation considers how people use ink to honor lineage, resist erasure and carry stories forward.
About the Panelists:
Terry Baxter has been an archivist for 40 years, currently with the Multnomah County (OR) Archives and the Oregon Country Fair Archives. He is a past president of the Society of American Archivists and a founding member of the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums. He lives in Cully with Debbie Jewell and is visited regularly by his six grandkids.
Seiuli Tenari Antonio Romero Tuātagaloa (he/him) is a Samoan/Mexican-American artist from the Bay Area, currently working as a photographer for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Thursday, February 12th, 2026: 6:00pm
Koret Auditorium - Lower Level Main Library 100 Larkin Street exhibitionsteam@sfpl.org |
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The Fourteenth Annual Valentine's Day Broadside Printing
Experience letterpress printing on the Library's 1909 Albion handpress and take home a unique keepsake to celebrate Valentine's Day. The American Printing History Association's NorCal Chapter will provide printing assistance.
Everyone is invited, but broadsides will be limited to the first 100 people.
Saturday, February 14th, 2026: 2:00pm
Book Arts & Specil Collections - 6th Floor Main Library 100 Larkin Street bookarts@sfpl.org
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A monthly social club based in San Francisco for mail artists, letter writers and people who love the USPS. If this sounds like you, then you've come to the right place! The Correspondence Co-op is a place for like-minded folks to meet other artists and beginners in a casual setting, make some mail art and share ideas.
The SFCC meets the third Sunday of every month; no meeting in December. Sponsored by Book Arts & Special Collections.
Sunday, February 15th, 2026: 1:00pm
Learning Studio - 5th Floor Main Library 100 Larkin Street bookarts@sfpl.org |
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Mark more than 100 years of Black History commemorations at the Library's celebration, More Than a Month, with fun, all-ages events at libraries across the city. Find hands-on craft activities, musical performances, films, book clubs and lectures on important moments in Black life, along with events that also highlight Black roots in Africa.
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From Book Arts & Special Collections:
Thomas Paine’s American Crisis |
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The American Crisis by Thomas Paine. London: Printed & published by R. Carlile, 1819
Celebrating Thomas Paine on his birthday. Depending on the calendar used, founding father Thomas Paine was born February 9 (Julian calendar) or January 29 (old style English calendar), 1737. His pamphlets, including The American Crisis were critical to strengthening the resolve of the American people during a dark time. First printed in Philadelphia on December 19, 1776, The American Crisis was widely circulated and read to George Washington’s troops just before the Battle of Trenton on December 25. The Library’s copy of The Crisis series was published ten years after Paine’s death in June 8, 1809, by the English radical publisher, Richard Carlile (1790-1843) who was greatly influenced by Paine’s ideas.
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Current and Upcoming Exhibits
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Patricia Owen Design Bookbinding
A Retrospective
February 6, 2026 - June 4, 2026
Skylight Gallery - 6th Floor |
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Patricia Owen (Patty) was an architect who found in bookbinding a medium more directly and immediately open to personal expression. Form and shape were central to Patty’s designs, primarily irregularly shaped, often organic. She explored a myriad of textures and materials. Color was also important. Her bindings are mainly monochromatic and often accented with greens and reds. The bindings in this exhibition reveal Patty’s continual exploration and a mastery of craftsmanship. The exhibition was initiated by fellow members of the bookbinding community who knew Patty and her work and felt that a retrospective would provide an opportunity to view nearly all the bindings she created over 35 years.
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You Are Here:
San Francisco on the Map February 1, 2026 - March 30, 2026
San Francisco History Center Exhibit Space - 6th Floor |  |
Explore San Francisco’s history through the eyes of the archivists and librarians who preserve it. Each map in this exhibit was handpicked by the Archives & Special Collections staff, reflecting personal favorites and hidden gems from the collection. From iconic views to rarely seen treasures, these maps trace the city’s rapid growth and constant transformation.
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Fashioning Bay Area Punk
Style, Subversion, Shock! October 31, 2025 - March 15, 2026
Book Arts & Special Collections Exhibit Space- 6th Floor |
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As a display, Fashioning San Francisco Punk traces the development of San Francisco punk dress and self-expression to the city’s rich history of counter-cultural revolution and celebrates the looks, accessories, and tastemakers that continue to define Bay Area alternative style.
Explore the library's Punk Rock Archive and Little Maga/Zine collection through this display connecting the content to the exhibition Living Tattoo Traditions: American Irezumi and Beyond, on view in the Jewett Gallery from Oct. 2, 2025 - March 1, 2026. |
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San Francisco History Center, Book Arts & Special Collections
Main Library, 6th Floor 100 Larkin San Francisco, CA 94102 |
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