Archives Assessment and Planning Project: Santa Clara County, California

When officials of the County of Santa Clara first contacted HAI they were concerned. Important county records were at great risk, having been stored haphazardly and scattered among a variety of locations. Worse, several of those who knew the records were approaching retirement, meaning valuable institutional memory could be lost. HAI provided Santa Clara County with a way out of this predicament.

At the outset of the project HAI archivists conducted an evaluation consisting of interviews with county staff and examination of records storage areas. They then determined which county departments would best be able to undertake the administration of an archives and researched the capabilities and rates of available storage facilities for historical records. HAI also determined the requirements and costs for staff and equipment and offered guidance as to possible sources of funding for the archives. Within seven months HAI had provided specifications for a county archives and written the administrative manual of archival policies, procedures, and forms needed to keep it running—a blueprint from which the county could build an ongoing program.

While planning for the archives was ongoing, HAI worked to help fill it, contacting city governments and records repositories throughout Santa Clara County to determine the level of interest in cooperating with the county to establish a regional archives. HAI also helped evaluate the strengths and liabilities of various potential partnering institutions.