Gilbar (Steven) Collection, circa 1840s-1990s, bulk bulk 1980s-1990s

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Title:
Steven Gilbar collection
Dates:
circa 1840s-1990s, bulk bulk 1980s-1990s
Abstract:
Research files created and compiled by Santa Barbara-based historians and authors, Steven Gilbar and Dean Stewart.
Extent:
1.2 Linear Feet (3 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], Steven Gilbar collection, Mss 171. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection primarily contains research files related to Steven Gilbar and Dean Stewart's Tales of Santa Barbara (1994) and Literary Santa Barbara (1998), as well as Gilbar's Published and Perished: Some Forgotten Santa Barbara Writers. It includes correspondence, permissions to publish, articles, clippings, photographs (copy prints from various sources, mainly for use in the publications), excerpts, and notes about respective authors and publications. Printouts of related works held in Special Collections have been inserted in appropriate folders.

Early items in the collection are primarily copies of printed materials.

This collection also contains monographs and serials donated by Steven Gilbar and Dean Stewart, which have been cataloged separately and can be searched using the UCSB Library's online catalog.

Biographical / historical:

Steven Gilbar (1941- ) was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Although he continued to live there until adulthood, a family vacation to Santa Barbara when he was a boy left a lasting impression on him. In 1963, he graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A, and subsequently from Detroit's Wayne State University Law School with a J.D. in 1967. After practicing law in Detroit for several years, Gilbar moved to California in 1970. His lifelong interest in books led him to the San Francisco law book publishing firm Matthew Bender and Company, where he worked as senior managing editor.

In 1978, he moved to Santa Barbara and set up his own practice, which specialized in literary law. At this time he began putting together anthologies, starting with The Book Book, published in 1981. His earliest works were aimed at bibliophiles, with titles such as Good Books: A Booklover's Companion (1982) and The Open Door: When Writers First Learned to Read (1989).

In the 1990s, Gilbar turned his attention to the rich literary tradition of his adopted home town, producing Tales of Santa Barbara (1994) and Red Tiles, Blue Skies: More Tales of Santa Barbara (1996). He then collaborated with local jouranlist and historian Dean Stewart to produce Literary Santa Barbara (1998), which traces the history of the numerous writers and publishers who have made the area their home or their subject matter.

In 1996, he founded the non-profit organization Speaking of Stories, a professional theater company that reads short stories to live audiences. Since retiring from his law practice in 2002, Gilbar has remained active in Santa Barbara's literary community, serving on the board of the Santa Barbara Book Council and launching the first "Santa Barbara Reads!" program. He also continues to put together anthologies of his favorite fiction, such as LA Shorts (2000) and Americans in Paris: Great Short Stories of the City of Light (2003).

Acquisition information:
Gifts of Steven Gilbar, 2000-2024.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Arrangement and description by T. Lewis and D. Tambo, 2011. Additions processed and finding aid updated by Rebecca Vasquez, April 2026.
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-04-10 13:11:08 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for access.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the collection and physical objects belong to the Regents of the University of California acting through the Department of Special Research Collections at the UCSB Library. All applicable literary rights, including copyright to the collection and physical objects, are protected under Chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code and may be retained by the creator and the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns.

All requests to reproduce, quote from, or otherwise reuse collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB at special@library.ucsb.edu. Consent is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California acting through the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or their assignees for permission to publish where the UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], Steven Gilbar collection, Mss 171. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Location of this collection:
UC Santa Barbara Library
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010, US
Contact:
(805) 893-3062
special@library.ucsb.edu
Website