This collection contains oral histories stewarded by the California State University San Marcos University Library's Special Collections. Oral histories have been collected by the university through various means, starting in 1989 with then library dean Marion Reed's interviews of founding faculty. More recently, oral histories have been conducted by Brewchive® curator Judith Downie, by History Department interns, by Special Collections librarians, and by grant funded university and community-focused projects. More context is given at the item level. In instances where an oral history interview was funded by an endowment or grant, that information is available at the item level.

Oral histories are interviews of campus and community members relevant to our service region (north San Diego County, southwestern Riverside County, and to a limited extent the rest of San Diego County).

Brewchive® oral histories are of individuals involved in San Diego County's craft brewing industry; brewers, brewery workers, and owners of local craft breweries are represented. Community oral histories contain a wide focus of interviews relating topics, organiziations, and places important to those who live, work, study, and play in North County San Diego and southwestern Riverside County. University oral histories are focused in some way on university history, and include interviews focused on founding faculty, university administration, staff, faculty, and alumni, and focused interviews regarding the university's Cross-Cultural Center and Black Student Center.

Oral histories listed in this finding aid have digital files accessible online. These files are one of or both an audio/visual file of the oral history and a corresponding text transcription of the interview. See individual oral histories for more information about what digital access is available.