I Want To Departments & Agencies
News Events Employment Language

Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters

Historical Records Commission
County Of Sonoma › Administrative Support & Fiscal Services › Clerk-Recorder-Assessor-Registrar of Voters › Historical Records Commission › Calendar › Historical Records Commission Minutes October 5 2023
Historical Records Commission

Historical Records Commission Minutes October 5, 2023

hrc-banner 750

Members present:
Margaret Purser (Chair)
Michael Mueller (Vice-Chair)
Robert Chase
Seana Gause
Steven Lovejoy

Members excused:
None

Associate Members present:
Amanda King, Secretary
Erika Thibault, Director, Sonoma County Library
Eve Goldberg, County of Sonoma Library Commissioner and Liaison to the Historical Records Commission

Guests present:
Zayda Delgado, Supervising Librarian, History & Genealogy Library
Katherine Rinehart, Advocates of the Sonoma County Library

  1. Call to order 4:02 pm
  2. Introduction of Guests
  3. Correction to the Agenda
    1. Secretary requests correction to the Agenda for incorrect minutes date from September 6 to September 7.
      1. Motion by Seana Gause
      2. Second by Robert Chase
      3. Approved
  4. The September 7, 2023 minutes were approved
    1. Motion by Seana Gause
    2. Second by Steven Lovejoy
    3. Approved
    4. Abstain by Michael Mueller
  5. Budget Discussion
    1. Balance is $3,719.59
    2. Balance includes business cards for Seana Gause and Robert Chase
  6. Continuing Business
      1. HRC Commissioners Report
        1. Margaret's report:
          • No report
        2. Michael's report:
          • The late surveyor Fred Brown’s Survey records will be moving this Saturday. Early Surveyor of Sonoma County, W. H. Williams, records are also included.  Adams and Everett turn of the century to 1960.  Survey work was not required to be recorded until 1970 and they were previously privately held.
          • Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin Library, surveyors are worried because they are not being allowed access to the records. Losing access to the Unrecorded surveys that Surveying community paid $70,000 to get in their collection. 
            • Margaret requests regular updates on the situation in Marin.
        3. Robert's report:
          • No report
        4. Seana's report:
          • No report
        5. Steven's report:
          • No report
      2. Library Commissioner Liaison Report
        1. Update from Eve Goldberg:
          • Approved a new Library Social Media policy.
          • Reception last night honoring the Friends of the Library.
          • One commissioner is working with Library Staff, FOL, and other interested parties, to revise our vision, mission, and value statements
      3. Library Report
        1. Library Director Report
          • Library Update:
            • Created a new map “Find Your Path” that you will find at all libraries; a visual representation of all libraries and where the BiblioBus is stopping.
            • September was Library Card sign-up month. 47% of the County has a library card.
            • Working on a capital improvement plan. Our facilities improvement plan tells us what needs to be done.  Capital Improvement Plan is the financial piece that shows how to make decisions for what buildings will have priority, timeline, and funding.  H&G Library is high on that list due to the ADA issues present in the building.
            • Steven asks:
              • Is that only for buildings that the Library owns or for all Library buildings?
                • It is for all Library buildings. We will be talking to all JPA partners.  The partners will have 10 years to address ADA issues once given the report.
              • There was talk about building a new Central Library, is that out now?
                • The City does not have money and neither does the Library.  We are going to move forward and try to improve it as best we can.
          • Archives Operating Agreement Update
            • Reached out to Christel Querijero and we have been trying to set up a meeting to follow up on whether the County has any new plans to share and continue discussing that operational agreement. Library has been the caretakers of those documents since 1960s and have not received any compensation for it. 
            • Erika to set up a meeting with Christel and the new County Administrator for a visit at the Archives
        2. History and Genealogy Library Report
          • Update by Zayda Delgado:
            • Upcoming Programs
              • Participating and co-sponsoring Finding History Day. Marketing materials have been sent out. Featuring the mobile scanner from the Playback Memory Lab and highlighting some materials from our collection.
              • Rainbows at the River, Guerneville Library, November 18, 2023, 1PM-3PM, conversation with organizations that are collecting LGBTQ+ materials and having conversations on why it is important to collect those materials.
              • Playback Memory Lab currently booked through December and currently in discussions what 2024 will look like and likely to make changes in how we book appointments
      4. Archives Activity Report
        1. Update by Zayda Delgado:
          • Nineteen (19) total materials requested; 0 were from the County with 6 unique users.
          • Work continues on ArchivesSpace. HRC is provided instructions on how to access and test the ArchivesSpace to test and share feedback.  The website is currently being worked on.  There is an email to reach out to if you have a question that cannot be handled on the form.  How easy is it to navigate? Is there confusing terminology?
          • The platform is ArchivesSpace that comes with basic public interface and functionality. We have limited back-end functionality and are prioritizing certain things.  It is a product made for an academic setting so we are trying to customize it for Sonoma County patrons.
          • As there are changes, Zayda will email HRC to update them on new requests for feedback.
      5. Collections & Archives Recognition Awards
        1. Secretary to finalize the Collections and Archives Recognition Awards documents and send to HRC for final review.
      6. Outreach
        1. “Researching the History of a Sonoma County Property” pamphlet update:
          • Secretary to make updates to the pamphlet for Library website addresses due to server change. Once made, Secretary notify interested parties when the updated document is available.
          • Margaret will bring the updated pamphlet the Heritage Network meeting on October 14, 2023, West County Museum, Sebastopol
          • Commission to review pamphlet in March 2024 for updates to be published in June 2024.
        2. Other California County Historical Records Commission
          • Steve has finished the initial survey and it looks like there are 7 counties out of 58 that have formal Historical Records Commissions and most of them are defunct and not meeting. Reached out to Alpine County today with 1,200 residents in the whole county and they have a functioning Historical Records Commission and their own Archives and have a meeting set up with the Archivist. As researching, I am also noting whether the county has a separate Archives and how is it managed and funded.
          • Secretary to reach out to San Diego County Recorder to see where their research is on Archives in the state.
        3. Finding History Day, October 21, 2023, 10:00AM-2:00PM, Finley Community Center, Santa Rosa
          • Secretary to have HRC Brochures, Collections & Archives Recognition Awards applications, and the Researching the History of a Sonoma County Property pamphlet
      7. County Recorder update on the status of the Restrictive Covenant Modification Program
        1. County Recorder has decided on a vendor and is requesting approval at the October 17, 2023 Board of Supervisors meeting
      8. Legislative Updates pertaining to public records
        1. Continuing to monitor legislation.
    1. New Business
      1. None
    2. Public Comment
      1. Library Commission meeting, November 1, 2023, 6PM, Rohnert Park Branch Library
      2. Sonoma County Heritage Network Meeting, October 14, 2023, 10AM-12PM, West County Museum, Sebastopol
      3. Museum of Sonoma County Exhibits:
        • Nature Abstracted, June 17, 2023-November 5, 2023
        • Sonoma County Stories, September 9, 2023-Ongoing
        • 2023 Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), September 9, 2023-November 26, 2023
        • Light, Clay, and Copper: Mid-Century Arts and Crafts in Sonoma County, September 9, 2023-Ongoing
      4. Katherine Rinehart did contact Supervisor Coursey about the concern that the Library was having a difficult time getting a meeting with the County regarding the Operations Agreement with the Library and the County for the Archives.
    3. Meeting adjourned at 4:45PM


    Next Meeting - November 9, 2023 - 4:00PM

    • In Person: County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor, Sonoma Room, 585 Fiscal Dr Rm 103, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
    • Virtual: Guests may also join virtually. Please see the meeting month’s agenda for login information.