The Bancroft Library, located at the University of California, Berkeley, was founded in 1905 with the acquisition of Hubert Howe Bancroft's collection and named in his honor. It is a large collection of historical documents, with a specialty in literary works pertaining to the history of California and the Trans-Mississippi West. (This specialization was the focus of Hubert Bancroft's original collection.) The Bancroft Library is now home to a number of "special collections", including the Mark Twain Papers and the University of California Archives. It is one of the largest special collections in the United States.
Due to the value of its collections, access to some materials are restricted to researchers who can demonstrate a need to access the materials, the library itself is open to anyone who wishes to use it. Also, the library website offers online access to several collections in digital form. The building on the UC Berkeley campus is currently undergoing retroffitting. The Libray is temporarily housed on 2121 Alston Way in downtown Berkeley.