A Visit to the California Statewide Museum Collections Center

by Kathryn M. Doyle

California State Park Archives
4940 Lang Avenue
McClellan, California 95652

Earlier this year I accepted an invitation to tour the Statewide Museum Collections Center in McClellan, California. I tagged along with California Genealogical Society President Linda Okazaki and Tynan Peterson and visited the sprawling facility located about seven miles northeast of Sacramento. The day began with specific goals: execute research plans, tour the vast warehouse, and enjoy genealogy camaraderie. We accomplished all three.

California State Parks Archive Exhibit Hall and Lobby

The main entrance opens to the archives exhibit hall where artifacts representing California’s diverse heritage are on display. The images and objects highlight the “professions that identify, study, and care for them.”

Visitors check in at the reception area of the main lobby to obtain a badge and locker. (Handbags, backpacks, food/drinks are not permitted beyond the lobby.) Researchers may bring laptops, scanners, cameras, and phones into the research room. No pens are allowed, but the archive provides pencils and paper. Protective gloves may be required when handling fragile materials.

Researchers must request materials in advance and preschedule a time to use the facility by contacting the archives by phone or email. Appointments are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. The research room is closed during lunch and on all state holidays.

Linda in the research room.

A Little History 

Officially, California has required the preservation of historically significant materials since its inception. An 1850 law mandated the preservation of “all public records, registers, maps, books, papers, rolls, documents, and other writings... which may be interesting, or valuable… to the government or people of the state.” The California State Archives is the repository of state records with permanent retention value.

By 2001, the state parks decided that more of their materials should be preserved and a separate California State Parks Archive was approved. Under the auspices of Victoria Yturralde, archivists visited parks throughout the Golden State to collect historically important materials.

Artifacts were housed in various places around Sacramento until suitable quarters could be located. The Museum Collections Center opened at the former McClellan Air Force Base, now McClellan Park, in 2013.

            

Cameras are not permitted beyond the research area so I don’t have images to share. But you can get a sampling from KQED’s The Treasures Living in the California State Parks Warehouse.

“There’s no point in saving the material if no one ever gets to see it.” 

—Archivist Lola Aguilar

Linda Okazaki and Archivist Lola Aguilar

While it remains a goal to process all holdings, to date only twenty physical collections from the California State Parks Archives have been fully described and catalogued at the Online Catalog of California (OAC). According to Archivist Lola Aguilar, these represent only about 5% of the total. The creation of Finding Aids for historical parks are the highest priority. 

The Photographic Archives consists of more than 350,000 images in various formats, "covering a broad range of California subjects." 

The California Genealogical Society will be hosting a field trip to the collection on Tuesday, August 15, 2017, for a limited number of attendees. Register now.

© 2017 by California Genealogical Society

Genealogy Field Trip to Oakland Main Public Library

Wednesday, November 20, 2013
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Oakland Public Library – Main
125 Fourteenth Street
Oakland, California 94612

For members only!

Join Past-president Jane Lindsey for a tour of the Oakland Main Library. Senior Librarian Kathleen DiGiovianni and Dorothy Lazard, Principal Librarian in the Oakland History Room, will discuss the resources available at the Oakland Public Library to assist you with your family research.

The Oakland History Room is an important center for the study of the history and current development of the East Bay. Its collection contains a wide variety of materials relating to the history of Oakland and the larger Bay Area, including books, magazines, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, photographs, postcards, sheet music, trade catalogs, and scrapbooks. Following the ninety-minute tour, you are encouraged to stay and do research on your own. The library is open until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Metered street parking is available in the area and there are several public parking lots nearby, including at the Oakland Museum.

Register online.

This field trip is organized for members of the California Genealogical Society. The maximum group size is thirty members.

There is no fee for the field trip but preregistration is required. Registration confirmations will be sent to the first thirty registrants. Additional names will be collected and placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations.

About the Main Library

Located between downtown and Lake Merritt, Oakland's Main Library is one of the largest public library facilities in the Bay Area. In addition to large collections of over 350,000 reference and circulating non-fiction and fiction books, the Main Library offers hundreds of current and historic magazines and newspapers, a major collection of sheet music, and thousands of maps.

There are federal, state, and local government publications and a large collection of compact discs, videocassettes, DVDs, and audiobooks. Oakland Main is home to the Oakland History Room, a significant resource on the history of the area, a large and active Children's Room, and the TeenZone.

The branch is equipped with thirty-three computers with Internet access available for public use, available on a drop-in, first-come, first-served basis. Adaptive technology is available, including screen readers and enlargers for those who are blind or who have low vision or learning disabilities.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Field Trip to Haas Lilienthal House with the San Francisco Special Interest Group

Saturday, November 16, 2013
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Haas-Lilienthal Victorian Home
2007 Franklin Street
San Francisco, California 94109

For members only!

Take a step back to another time and tour the picturesque Haas-Lilienthal House for a glimpse of what San Francisco looked like 127 years ago.

Sandra Britt-Huber sends word that the San Francisco Special Interest Group (SF-SIG) will sponsor a field trip to the historic Haas-Lilienthal Victorian and hold their November meeting there. After the short SIG meeting there will be a presentation and private tour of the house.

The 1880s San Francisco home was named one of thirty-one national treasures by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It was designated a historic landmark in July 1973 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places (HLH # 73000438) in San Francisco for its architecture and engineering historical significance.

RSVP is required. Please email Sandra Britt-Huber if you would like to attend. Indicate the number in your party and include "Haas-Lilienthal House" in the subject line.

This event is sponsored by San Francisco Heritage and the California Genealogical Society and Library.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Field Trip to the Oakland FamilySearch Library - Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon

Oakland FamilySearch Library
(formerly Oakland Regional Family History Center)
4766 Lincoln Avenue

Oakland, California 94602

For members only!

Join Jane Lindsey for an in-depth view of the Oakland FamilySearch Library and learn about the hidden resources often overlooked even by frequent visitors to the center. Our tour guide will be the center's director, Ralph Severson. Bring your lunch and enjoy the breathtaking views from this Oakland landmark, followed by an afternoon of research on your own.

The tour will include an introduction to the following resources:

• card index of 35,000 Alameda County obituaries
• online subscriptions, including genealogybank.com and newspapers.com
• map case
• periodical reading room 
• expert consultations, including database management
• future changes at FamilySearch Family Tree and the Research Wiki
• special days for African-American, Azorian, Jewish, and Swedish research

Register online.

This field trip is organized for members of the California Genealogical Society. Non-members interested in participating are encouraged to become members prior to August 31, 2013. The maximum group size is thirty members.

There is no fee for the field trip but preregistration is required. Registration confirmations will be sent to the first thirty registrants. Additional names will be collected and placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations.

The Oakland FamilySearch Library is one of the largest and most accessible centers for genealogical research in California, with more than 9,000 volumes of books, periodicals, family histories, city and county histories, city directories, plus over 37,000 reels of microfilm and 9,000 microfiche containing millions of local vital records and historical census data from all over the world.

The library is open:

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Friday, Saturday - 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Closed on Sunday and Monday

Their online catalog includes the holdings of all fifteen Bay Area centers. When you find a resource of interest, be sure to click on the "Show Copies"  tab to see which location has the book, film. microfiche or CD you are interested in.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Wordless Wednesday

Field Trip to the San Francisco Public Library and

Tour by City Archivist Susan Goldstein and Staff

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Photographs by Kathryn M. Doyle.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Wordless Wednesday

Field Trip to Sacramento 

California State Library and State Archives

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Photographs courtesy of Jane Lindsey and Lorna Wallace,


Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Field Trip to the San Francisco Main Public Library

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m..

San Francisco Main Public Library
100 Larkin Street

100 Larkin St.

San Francisco, 94102

For members only!

Join Past-president Jane Lindsey for a tour of the areas of genealogical interest at the San Francisco Main Public Library. Attendees will gather at 11:00 a.m. outside The San Francisco History Center on the sixth floor and split into two groups for a tour led by San Francisco City Archivist Susan Goldstein and library staff.

BART will be the transportation of choice. Travel to the Civic Center Station and walk towards the large blue medallion painted on the wall, then up the stairs or escalator. The library is across the street.

After the tour, members will gather to learn about the online catalog and the many San Francisco records the library has recently digitized through Archive.org and FamilySearch.org and how to access them.

Register online.

If you don't already have a San Francisco library card this will be a great opportunity to get one. Residents of California with identification may obtain one for free. Applications are available at the Main and must be submitted in person. Detailed information is available at the library website.

Attendees may want have lunch together. The Mint Café is located on the lower level of the library. Café Asia at the Asian Art Museum is close by.

This field trip is organized for members of the California Genealogical Society. Non-members interested in participating are encouraged to become members prior to July 1, 2013. The maximum group size is forty members.

Photographs of the San Francisco Main Public Library by Sameer Vasta, October 24, 2006, Creative Commons License.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Field Trip to Sacramento – California State Library and State Archives - Wednesday, May 8, 2013

California State Library

Wednesday, May 8, 2013
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m..

California State Library
900 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

For members only!

Join us for a day of research in the California History Room at the State Library in Sacramento, and for a tour of the California State Archives, a few blocks away.

Members are responsible for handling their own commute arrangements but are invited to travel together, by train, on the Amtrak Capitol Corridor, train No. 524. Members who live in the greater Sacramento area may meet us at the library but are asked to please register in advance. Participants may buy lunch at one of the cafes in the Capitol area, or bring lunch to eat in the building lunchroom – or in the gardens around the Capitol.

We will start with a library orientation at 10:15 a.m. and then we will be set loose in the California History Room! What will you find there? Manuscripts, diaries, letters (these items may have to be retrieved from the storage “vault”), books and on microfilm, a large selection of California newspapers, many not yet digitized.

Register online.

Explore some of the library's holdings at the Main Catalog using the Basic Search or Advanced Search.  Download the Selected Guide to the Sources for Genealogy in the California History Room.

After lunch, we will walk over to the California State Archives and tour of some of its vast and varied holdings. A collections page summarizes the materials located here.

Among the things that might be of special interest to genealogists are certain county records (e.g., older probate files from certain counties, and inmate registers of some prisons), and the Root Cellar Library of the Sacramento Genealogical Society. Please study the online catalog (Minerva) for topics if you plan to do a bit of searching. We may not have time to do much research, but we can prepare you for your next visit. (Please send a question to the trip leader if you think you would prefer to spend more of your day researching at the Archives than the Library.)

Our return train trip will leave on Sacramento Amtrak No. 543 at 3:35 p.m. The walk to the Amtrak station takes about fifteen minutes. Those who would prefer may take a taxi.

This field trip is organized for members of the California Genealogical Society. Non-members interested in participating are encouraged to become members prior to March 15, 2013. The maximum group size is twenty members. Please reserve your place by Thursday, April 25, 2013.

Photograph courtesy of the California State Library, Sacramento, California.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Field Trip to the California Historical Society March 20, 2013

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

California Historical Society

678 Mission Street

San Francisco, California 94105

For members only!

Join Henry Snyder, chair of the library committee, for a field trip to the California Historical Society. A talk and tour by the CHS staff will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. After the tour the library is open until 4:00 for research. Bring lunch or try one of the nearby restaurants.

Register online.

The CHS Collection comprises a diverse body of materials documenting the history of California, including:

• 50,000 volumes of books and pamphlets
• 4,000 manuscript collections
• 500,000 photographs
• Printed ephemera, periodicals, posters, broadsides, maps, and newspapers
• The Kemble Collection on Western Printing and Publishing
• 5,000 works of art, including paintings, drawings, and lithographs
• Artifacts and costumes

There is a also a gallery with changing exhibitions. At the time of our visit, “See Beauty in this Life: A Photographer Looks at 100 Years of Rural California” with a retrospective by Lisa M. Hamilton, will be playing through  March 24, 2013.

The CHS website includes a research page which highlights the strengths of their collection and is a gateway to their online catalog and the Online Catalog of California (OAC). The OAC is an online archive of collection guides and digitized primary sources contributed by libraries and other cultural heritage institutions throughout the state, maintained by the University of California.

The California Historical Society, founded in 1871, is a membership-based, non-profit organization with a mission to inspire and empower people to make California's richly diverse past a meaningful part of their contemporary lives.

The writing assistance of Carol Corville Horn is gratefully acknowledged.

Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Field Trip to the New Sutro Library – Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Wednesday, January 23, 2013
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Orientation at 10:30 a.m.

California State Library – Sutro
1630 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, California 94132

The California State Library – Sutro branch re-opened at its new location in August of this year. Genealogists, historians, and other researchers can discover the Sutro’s rich collections and resources housed in a spacious, well-lit reading room designed specifically for their patrons. 

California Genealogical Society members will have an opportunity to visit the new library on Wednesday, January 23, 2013. Join CGS Outreach Coordinator Pat Gallagher for a fun day of research. 

Itinerary for the Day

• 10:00 a.m. – Sutro Library opens
• 10:30 a.m. – Private orientation for the group
• 11:00 a.m to 4:45 p.m. – free time to do research
• 5:00 p.m. – Sutro closes

There is a cafe on the main floor of the library that has coffee and snacks. Visitors are allowed to bring a bag lunch or go out to one of the many eateries around the campus.

This field trip is organized for CGS members only. Non-members interested in participating in the visit are encouraged to become members prior to January 15, 2013. Pre-registration is required.

Register online.

On the online registration form, attendees need to specify if they are interested in a carpool or BART.

Information links from the San Francisco State University website:

Directions using BART

Parking

Shuttle service


Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Publications/Marketing Committee Meeting at the Society of California Pioneers

The California Genealogical Society has a long history of collaborative relationships that continues today.

Board members Pat Gallagher and Henry Snyder have been meeting with Patricia L. Keats, Director of Library and Archives at the Society of California Pioneers. They have been planning an introductory genealogy class for members of both societies to be held in San Francisco in the fall.

The Society of California Pioneers

When Henry mentioned the idea at a Publications/Marketing Committee meeting, the group expressed an interest in seeing Pioneer Hall and meeting there in lieu of our July meeting. Pat Keats approved the visit and our monthly committee meeting morphed into a field trip and site visit.

L. to R. Jane Hufft, Pat Gallagher, Henry Snyder, and Kim Cotton.

Kim Cotton, Jane Hufft, Pat Gallagher, Shannon Reese, and Henry Snyder met in the Alice Phelan Sullivan Library at the Society of California Pioneers, located at 300 Fourth Street, San Francisco.

Alice Phelan Sullivan Library

Pat Keats was a gracious host. After the Pub/Market Committee meeting, she gave a tour of the Joseph and Mildred Rolph Moore Gallery – their gorgeous space for exhibits and lectures. She filled us in on the current exhibit on "Singing in California," which highlights songs/music written about California over the years.

Joseph and Mildred Rolph Moore Gallery

The Joseph and Mildred Rolph Moore Gallery will be the venue for our upcoming joint venture, a beginning genealogy class on Saturday, September 8, 2012, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Pub/Mark Committee Chair Shannon Reese chronicled the day with photographs and sent this description, "We met in the bustling South of Market (SOMA) area of San Francisco. The Society of California Pioneers is a beautiful, modern building with gorgeous built-in wooden bookcases and views of Moscone Center and skyline."

Pat Gallagher, Henry Snyder and Patricia Keats.

Pat is justifiably proud of the facility and holdings of the Society of California Pioneers:

"I love when people get introduced to our collections here at the Society of California Pioneers. We have such a treasure trove of not only printed information, but visual information as well. Our manuscript collections (diaries, letters, etc.) are wonderful, but there is also the vast collection of other materials that researchers can use. Visual materials such as maps, printed broadsides, photographs, advertising ephemera and art can all be really informative in many ways for researchers.

Working at the Society is like working in a vast historical story – each day one can go from the Gold Rush to Japanese immigration at Angel Island, from rare books on early San Francisco to pamphlets on early California artists. One learns something new everyday!"

Keats summed things up: "We are looking forward to collaborating with the California Genealogical Society since both of our organizations have similar aims, and our collections complement one another quite a bit. I think this will be the beginning of something very beneficial, as well as interesting and fun, to both our organizations!"

Established in 1850, The Society of California Pioneers was created to cultivate social bonds, to collect and preserve information related to California history, and to perpetuate the memory of early pioneers. Today it is a not-for-profit museum, library, and cultural organization dedicated to advancing the knowledge and appreciation of early California history for the benefit of present and future audiences of all ages. The goals of the Society are to preserve the history of early families and pioneers, as well as events from pre-statehood and Spanish California up through the early 20th century. The collections are open to all researchers. One of the main aims since moving to the current location is to provide increased accessibility for patrons, both in person and online.

The Society of California Pioneers is still under the leadership of direct descendants of California pioneers. It serves as a venue for California art, history, and culture. Pioneer Hall has a museum with rotating exhibits and the Alice Phelan Sullivan library, which are both open to the public. It is the location of many exhibitions and programs related to California History. The Society emphasizes educational programs and the preservation of historical materials. It hosts book talks, musical programming, and lectures by members and others relating to early California.

Photographs courtesy of Shannon Reese, 7/10/2012, San Francisco.

Copyright © 2012 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library

Field Trip to Sutro California State Library

Wednesday, May 26, 2010
480 Winston Drive, San Francisco, CA 94132

The California State Library, San Francisco, known as the Sutro Library, bills itself as one of the largest genealogical collections west of Salt Lake City – and it is. With over 150,000 books and resources for all fifty states, it is a must-visit place for Bay Area genealogists.

Jack Leibman has written a fascinating history of Adolph Sutro's library: The Saga of Sutro Library which includes this description:

Today the Sutro is a major resource for genealogy research. It continues to gather a remarkable list of historical and genealogical publications from the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. The surviving original collections of Sutro include a wide variety of pre-1900 British scientific papers, a unique collection of Mexican works, and many rare ancient Hebrew texts. A treasure trove of Sutro's voluminous correspondence is expected to provide some fascinating new insights into the history of this brilliant, inventive, and bold avatar of San Francisco.

Ron and Pam Filion of sfgenealogy.com have posted a comprehensive review of Bay Area research facilities, including Sutro.

Dick Rees will lead a group to Sutro on public transportation using BART and Muni leaving from the 19th Street Station in Oakland. Members may also car pool and meet at the library. Library staff will give us a tour. The library's hours are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Bag lunch recommended.

Register online.


Copyright © 2010 by Kathryn M. Doyle, California Genealogical Society and Library