Historical Records Commission Minutes October 13, 2022

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Members present:
Eric Stanley (Chair)
Margaret Purser (Vice-Chair)
Gretchen Emmert
Michael Mueller

Members excused:
Steven Lovejoy

Associate Members present:
Amanda King, Secretary
Erika Thibault, Interim Director, Sonoma County Library
Deborah Doyle, Library Commissioner and Liaison to HRC

Guests present:
Zayda Delgado, Supervising Librarian, History & Genealogy Library
Nour Maxwell, CAO Policy, Grants, and Special Projects Division
Ray Johnson, President, Sonoma County Historical Society and Boardmember, Sonoma County Genealogical Society

Call to order 4:04 pm
Introduction of Guests
The September 1, 2022 Minutes were approved
1. Motion by Michael Mueller
2. Second by Gretchen Emmert
3. Approved
Budget Discussion
1. Balance is $3,796.07
Continuing Business
1. HRC Commissioners Report
  - Margaret's report:
    - Former HRC Commissioner, John Murphey, is teaching a course as SSU. His class is using the 1940s Sonoma County Highways archive donated to the SSU Special Collections Archive that received one of last year's Collections and Archives Recognition Awards. Margie did a presentation for the class on these materials. John sends his best regards to everyone.
  - Gretchen's report:
    - Still working on the commissions spreadsheet.
  - Michael's report:
    - Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Society, October 24, 2022, Monroe Hall, 1400 West College Ave, presentation on the history of the North Pacific Coast Railroad, “Building the Narrow Gauge of Tomales, 1871-1875"
  - Eric's report:
    - No report
2. Library Commissioner Report
  - Update by Erika Thibault:
    - Expanding hours. Regional Libraries will be open on Sundays starting November 6. Open from 1-5PM. H&G will not be open on Sundays.
    - Hired 20 additional full time employees to support the new hours.
    - Central Library will likely see a reduction in their attendance as patrons find out their local branch is open.
    - Working on operational agreement with the County. County Board of Supervisors will be voting on a lease extension in their December meeting. Looking for a 5-year extension for the building the Archives are currently located in on Westwind Blvd.
  - Update by Deborah Doyle:
    - New Library Commissioner, Sarah Laggos, was appointed to represent City of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County.
    - We continue to have a vacancy for the Sonoma appointee; HRC Commissioners please contact your supervisor to help with this vacancy being filled.
3. Archives Activity Report
  - Update by Zayda Delgado:
    - Month of September, we received 24 resources requested; 10 requests for boxes from 2 different county departments and 6 unique requestors
    - New librarian starts October 24.
    - Granted an award through the California State Library to build a memory lab with them. We will have $20,000 to build an in-person digitization station and a mobile unit to go into the community to digitize their materials. We hope to launch that project in the Spring 2023.
    - Received a donation from Press Democrat entire photographic negative library. From 1990 to early 2000s. We are working on providing access to that collection
    - Upcoming Library Events:
      - LGBTQI Timeline Exhibit Reception & Oral History Event – Saturday, October 22, 1:00-3:00pm at the Central Santa Rosa Library
      - Virtual: Slavery and “Unfree” Labor in the California Gold Rush and Sonoma County – Wednesday, November 2, 7:00-8:00pm – registration open now
      - Virtual: Frida Kahlo and the Impact of Place – Thursday, December 8, 6:00-7:00pm – registration open now
  - Clerk of the Board of Supervisors pre-1906 BOS Meeting Minutes
    - Received 69 volumes: minutes, ordinances, resolutions, indices, and books of equalization. Range from mid-1800s to 1990s.
4. Collections & Archives Recognition Awards
  1. Nominations are due by January 12, 2023 to Amanda.King@sonoma-county.org
  2. Secretary prepared a County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor Facebook post related to nominations for the 2022 Collections & Archives Recognition Award. County of Sonoma also shared the post.
5. Outreach
  - “Researching the History of Your Sonoma County Building” pamphlet update:
    - Secretary updated pamphlet and is awaiting ADA remediation before posting to the internet. Secretary will email interested parties with the updated pamphlet when completed.
  - Other California County Historical Records Commission
    - No update
6. County Recorder update on the status of the Restrictive Covenant Modification Program
  - Updated the Restrictive Covenant Modification Program Plan website with additional submission options including template emails and an online submission form
  - Continuing to work on the RFP.
New Business
1. None
Public Comment
1. Library Commission meeting, November 2, 2022, 6PM, on ZOOM.
2. Sonoma County Heritage Network Meeting, January 14, 2023, 10AM-12PM, Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation Learning Center, 900 Sanford St, Santa Rosa.
3. Russian River Historical Society (RRHS) events:
  - General Membership annual meeting, John Schubert Russian River Collection, October 22, 1:00PM-3:00PM, Russian River Senior Center/Marshall House, 15010 Armstrong Woods Rd, Guerneville. The event will cover Katherine Rinehart’s experience with processing the late John C. Schubert’s Russian River Collection. The event is free and you do not need to be a member of the RRHS to attend.
  - Guerneville Pioneer Cemetery Tour, October 29, 2022, 1PM, Guerneville Pioneer Cemetery, suggested donation $5.00
4. Cotati Historical Society, "Past and Present" Music in Cotati, November 13, 2022, 1PM-4PM, Cotati Room, 216 East School St, Cotati.
5. Museum of Sonoma County Exhibits:
  - Collective Arising: The Insistence of Black Bay Area Artists, June 25, 2022-November 27, 2022
  - Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), October 1, 2022-November 6, 2022
Meeting adjourned at 4:26PM

Next Meeting - November 10, 2022 - ZOOM, 4:00PM