MISSION

The mission of the Santa Clara County Archives is to collect, preserve, and make available the historical records of Santa Clara County government. The Archives’ goals are to be a center for research and information about Santa Clara County and to foster an appreciation and understanding of the county’s history and development.

HISTORY

The County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors established an Archive Policy by Policy Resolution 04-14, dated September 14, 2004. In that resolution, the Board of Supervisors recognized “the need for a formal archive policy to insure the preservation and availability for historical and evidentiary purposes of the official papers and artifacts of the County of Santa Clara.” The resolution stated that it is “County policy to establish and maintain a Countywide Records Management program, utilizing the cooperation and support of County agencies and departments, and to identify it as a priority to enable the County to systematically control the creation, maintenance, and disposition of all County records, as well as provide a County archive facility for use by the public, the County organization, and any individual or organization in need of historical and evidentiary information about the County of Santa Clara.” Space for an Archives was secured in 2004 and is leased through 2014. An archivist was hired in 2006, and in April 2006, the Santa Clara County Archives began operation.
 

COLLECTIONS

The Santa Clara County Archives is a new county program. Transfer of county historical records to the Archives began in April 2006. As records are transferred to the Archives and processed, collection descriptions are posted on the Online Archive of California (OAC). For a current listing of materials available for research, click on the OAC link (http://www.oac.cdlib.org) and then click on Santa Clara County Archives under List of Contributing Institutions. For information regarding collections transferred but not yet processed, please contact the Archives.

LOCATION AND HOURS

The Santa Clara County Archives is located at: 1875 Senter Road (Senter at Needles) San Jose 95112 Directions: If you are traveling south on Senter, turn right (and if north, left) into the business park at the intersection of Senter and Needles. The Archives is near the west end of the park. Public parking is available on the street and at the west end of the business park. Please note that most other parking spaces require a county permit. Hours: The Archives is open Monday, 10-4, Wednesday, 9-1, and by appointment the rest of the week, Monday through Friday.

New Hours:  Beginning August 2, the Archives will be open Monday and Wednesday, 9-1, and by appointment, 9-1, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

CONTACT US

The Archives phone number is: 408/ 792-1895. You may e-mail the Archives at: Archives@rec.sccgov.org.