The City of Portland Archives and Records Center is partnering with the Regional Arts & Culture Council through the intersections program to invite artists from all disciplines to explore new working methods and develop socially engaging art experiences with the Archives. This is the first in a series of residencies for the Archives with the goal of artists creating work in any media that engages and/or is a result of working with the collection and staff. It our hope that this artist residency program will help to breakdown the stereotypes associated with archival collections by viewing and presenting the archives through different lenses. 

Artists interested in this opportunity are encouraged to visit and tour the Archives prior to the application deadline of November 12, 2012. Email reservations requests by October 22, 2012 for a tour on Tuesday, October 23, 2012. Send reservation to intersections@racc.org with subject line “Visit Archives”. In the body please say how many are in your party.

For more information about the artist-in-residency, tour, the application, and timeline click on the following link (http://www.racc.org/public-art/racc-opportunity-intersections-residency-portland-archives) and download the RFQ.

Excerpts from the exhibit:

“When Lensch became director in 1937 she presided over a system which included only three indoor winter facilities and was comprised of 7 full-time staff with 33 more in the Summer. By 1956, Lensch had overseen an expansion of her vision of a comprehensive recreation program which now boasted 15 buildings with full or part-time year round programs.”

“Lensch tended to look at programming from the neighborhood level, her belief was that if you could not involve neighborhoods in their own programming there would not be the same level of commitment towards using the programs effectively as when you have involvement and development at the neighborhood level.”

In her own words…

“Recreation is a complex force in the life of the individual and of the community.  It is related to the public schools (education), the churches (religion), the welfare agencies (welfare), the social agencies (health), housing and employment organizations.  Recreation is thus people-centered and must make provision for the varied interests, age levels and degrees of ability of the population.” -From Chapter 1 of “The Evolution of Recreation Programs in War Housing Projects in Portland Oregon between the years 1940 and 1960.”

See you October 6^th!

3rd Annual Oregon Archives Crawl on

Saturday, October 6th, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.!

Join us in crawling through downtown Portland, where you can participate with over 25 archives and heritage organizations in getting in touch with history and having fun doing it! Start your journey through Oregon’s past by visiting the four host locations: PortlandArchivesandRecordsCenter, PortlandStateUniversityMillarLibrary, MultnomahCountyCentralLibrary and the OregonHistoricalSociety.  At each site you’ll encounter archivists, historians and other representatives from organizations that devote their time to preserving the past so that it will be available for you and future generations to use.  Not only will you get to visit the archives of the four host locations, but the other organizations will be bringing some of their “stuff” for you to see!

Celebrate women; celebrate archives!

This year we are paying tribute to the 100th anniversary of Oregon women winning the right to vote by highlighting women in history.  Through the crawl, you will learn about the contributions and impact of women on Oregon politics, health, education, culture and more.  Attend a presentation; learn some tricks for preserving and researching your family’s history; peruse old photos, maps and documents; or take a behind-the-scenes tour to see where all this history is stored.

To help guide the way, make sure you pick up a free “passport” listing all of the participating organizations at any of the 4 host locations. Remember to get a stamp at each of the locations so you can be entered into the prize drawing which will take place at the After Party at McMenamins’ Al’s Den at the Crystal Hotel. Come for your chance to enter the drawing and stay to enjoy McMenamins’ food and beer and the company of your fellow crawlers and local archivists. The After Party is free to everyone, with food and drink available for purchase.

Third Annual Oregon Archives Crawl
Saturday, October 6, 2012
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Free and Open to the Public
Starting at any of the following locations: Portland Archives &
Records Center, Portland State University Millar Library, Multnomah
County Central Library or the Oregon Historical Society.

The After Party at the McMenamins Al’s Den
Saturday, October 6. 2012

3:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Open to the Public/No Host Bar
Enjoy fun, music, and prizes!

For more information and a complete list of participants check out our website: pdxarchivists.wordpress.com

This collage of articles, photos, and maps collected from the City of Portland Archives was created as part of an architectural thesis exploration.  The intention was to uncover the soul behind Memorial Coliseum’s glass walls by exposing the arguments regarding the place before its construction, during its opening events, and with the more recent arguments to preserve the building as a valuable cultural and architectural artifact.

Do your own research on the Memorial Coliseum and search our online database for information and photos of Memorial Coliseum:

http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/webdrawer/search/rec?sm_anyword=memorial%20coliseum&sort1=rs_dateCreated&count&rows=50

For information on our hours and location check out the following link: http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?c=51811&a=298195

The date is set and the committee is diving into the rest of the planning details for the 3^rd Annual Archives Crawl celebrating Oregon Archives Month. We are pleased to announce all four host locations (Portland Archives and Records Center, the Portland State University Millar Library, Multnomah County Central Library and the Oregon Historical Society) will be opening up their doors again for Crawlers.  We are working on new programming for each location, highlighting what we do and how we do it.  We look forward to meeting each of you who join us.

At each host location we’ll have archives and heritage organizations from the Portland-metro area and from other parts of the state. And if more than 20 archives and heritage organizations isn’t enough to entice you, the Crawl coincides with the Oregon Historical Society’s Free Day. This year the After Party will again take place at a downtown McMenamins where we can eat, drink and merrily celebrate Oregon’s history together!

As we finalize details we will post them to http://pdxarchivists.wordpress.com/, so check it out to see who will be participating, when the fun begins and what to expect at the 3^rd Annual Oregon Archives Crawl! Remember the third time’s the charm!

See you on October 6th!

Do you want to learn more about the history of your house or building?

Are you curious about who lived in your house or what businesses operated in your building?

Learn about the various resources available for uncovering building histories in the Davies Family Research Library at the Oregon Historical Society, as well as at the Architectural Heritage Center, City of Portland Archives and Multnomah County Archives. Representatives of the local archives will talk about accessing and utilizing the different resources for researching the history of a building, including photographs, city directories, online databases and maps.

Saturday, April 7, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Cost: $15 for OHS members, $20 for non-members

RSVP: libreference@ohs.org or 503.306.5240

 Space is limited, so sign up now! 

Part of the Building History Workshops 

 Researching Buildings Using Local Archives Workshop Flyer

Some examples of what you can expect to find at the City of Portland Archives and Records Center venue: get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Archives; learn research techniques from local researcher and author, Raymond Burell; get assistance preserving a photo, book or document from the Lewis & Clark College archivists (for the 1st 50 people!); and learn about the Oregon Jewish experience through artifacts and photos.

For more fun things to do and see at the Oregon Archives Crawl, check here: http://pdxarchivists.wordpress.com/activities/.

See you this Saturday!

Learn tips and techniques for doing research in archives, including the City of Portland Archives, from local researcher Raymond Burell during the Oregon Archives Crawl on Saturday, October 15^th. 

Burell will discuss his both his own research on the Vancouver Avenue Baptist Church (formerly the Central Methodist Episcopal Church) and his research methods during a 30 minute presentation and Q&A starting at 11 AM.  Burell will talk about what resources he utilized to verify dates and names of key players in the building process using old city permit cards, an 1894 Portland atlas, city code hearing records and various Polk Directories.

If you are curious about doing research on your own neighborhood or house or are simply interested in Portland’s history, stop by to learn what resources are available here to help with your search. Knowing where to start can be the biggest challenge for researchers, so we hope you can join us to listen to one researcher’s journey.

Local researcher Raymond Burell presentation

Saturday, October 15, 2011

11:00 AM at the City of Portland Archives and Records Center

The 2011 Archives Crawl poster is ready and looks great! Check out the website (http://pdxarchivists.wordpress.com/) for more details about participating organizations and activities.

See you on Saturday, October 15th!

Everyone is invited to the 2^nd Annual Oregon Archives Crawl on Saturday, October 15^th. Start at any of the four host locations (Portland Archives and Records Center, the Portland State University Millar Library, Multnomah County Central Library or the Oregon Historical Society) and get ready to dive head first into history. Each host site will share space with other local archives and heritage organizations, many returning and a few new ones.

Some of this year’s participating organizations include Oregon Health and Sciences University, the Genealogical Forum of Oregon Library, Oregon Nikkei Center, the Multnomah County Records Program and the Dill Pickle Club. With over 30 organizations as part of the Archives Crawl, there is something for everyone!

Crawlers can tour some of the facilities and get a glimpse of where all these treasures are stored, see how Portland has changed over the years through photos and maps, and touch artifacts ranging from police dockets dating back to the late 1800s to medical artifacts from OHSU (maybe even a skull). Join in on fun family activities that connect you to our rich history and learn how and where to do your own research.  Remember: you don’t have to be a history scholar to be interested in history, or to do research!  All of the participating archives are open to anyone with an interest in history.

As you crawl from site to site, make sure you get your free “passport” stamped at each location. A fully stamped passport gets you into a drawing for items donated by participating archives.  The drawing takes place at the After Party at McMenamins’ Mission Theater. The After Party is just that, a party where we can all kick back, listen to music, reflect on the day’s events and chat with the archivists and other people who like history. The After Party is free to everyone, but be sure to bring your money if you want to partake of McMenamins’ food and beer. Soft drinks will be available for free until they run out.

Second Annual Oregon Archives Crawl
Saturday, October 15
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Free and Open to the Public
Starting at any of the following locations: Portland Archives &
Records Center, Portland State University Millar Library, Multnomah
County Central Library or the Oregon Historical Society.

The After Party at the McMenamins Mission Theater & Pub
Saturday, October 15 

3:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Open to the Public/No Host Bar
Enjoy fun, music, and prizes!

For more information check out our website: pdxarchivists.wordpress.com

All poets, published or not, are welcome to record. This will be a first-come, first-serve event and poets will have about fifteen-minutes allotted to them. Poets should consider these time constraints when deciding which works they want to record.

All participants must be prepared to sign a waiver to allow the recordings and texts to be displayed on the website (www.oregonpoeticvoices.org). Please also bring paper copies of the poems and a biographical statement. All participants will be mailed a CD of their readings.

For more information, please direct any questions to Poetry Project Fellow, Melissa Dalton at 503-768-8190 or mdalton@lclark.edu. All local poets are also welcome to schedule an individual appointment to record in the OPV office, located on the Lewis & Clark campus.

We are pleased to be involved with the Oregon Archives Crawl again this coming October. Last year there was a great turnout and we were thrilled with all of the new faces that came through our doors.

So if you missed it last year or just want to come back to see what’s new, mark your calendars for Saturday, October 15^th.  To keep up-to-date on event details and participants, check out the website.

We hope to see you in October!

Our new location downtown and drop-in hours for research have definitely had a positive impact on the number of researchers through our doors. Students, city employees, businesses and citizens -  all with varied research interests – have found that it is easier to get to the Archives now. Daily open hours have encouraged people to drop in more frequently and for multiple visits. The end result is more people accessing and utilizing city records.

In addition to helping researchers, we’ve given many tours of our new space during the course of the year.  We’re excited about our new building and love to share a behind-the-scenes look at where 160 year’s worth of City history resides.  Look for upcoming opportunities to tour the Archives and Records Center, like the 2011 Oregon Archives Crawl on October 15^th.  Or, if you can’t wait that long and have a group who would like to arrange a tour, please contact us.

If you haven’t stopped by to do some research, we hope you drop in soon.

The City of Portland Archives and Records Management Division began in 1976 with the hiring of Portland’s first experienced archivist. In 1978 the program obtained a multi-year NHPRC grant designed to create a model program for implementing an integrated archival and records system at the municipal level. In 1981 the Portland Archives and Records Center was established to house this integrated program and bring the decentralized archival collection together in one place. City records were collected from the basement of City Hall, individual city bureaus and other nooks and crannies in city offices.

The program remained in this first facility, an old city incinerator, until 2010 when it moved to a new and more centrally located facility in the heart of Portland.

As an institutional archives, we collect and preserve documents, plans, photos and other materials generated by and for the City’s government.  That means that we have records about urban planning and parks, photos of public works construction like roads and sewers, Ordinances dating back to 1851 and many elected official records. We provide important historical evidence of the development of city government and the growth of Portland since its inception.

“I’m an archivist.”

“A what? What’s that?”

This is a conversation that most archivists experience on a routine basis; in fact, the joke is that more people know what an anarchist is than they know what an archivist is.  With this in mind, we thought we’d spend some time introducing archives to our readers.

Sure, you may have visited an archives, done some research or even taken a tour, but do you really know what an archivist does?  Do we roll up the proverbial rug once the Research Room lights go out?  Of course not!  There is a wide and wonderful world of archivy¹ out there and over the next few months we’re going to give you a peek into who we are, what we do and why we do it. 

If you have specific questions or even general questions about Archives or Archivists, please comment as we go and we will do our best to respond in future posts.

¹ n. ~ The discipline of archives.

Pearce-Moses, Richard, . A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology. Society of American Archivists, 2005. Print.

To learn more about the Portland’s Civil Defense efforts and see some of the photos, documents and plans, check out our online exhibit or drop by to see the exhibit located in our front case. If you are interested in doing more research or curious about a certain aspect, check out Efiles or stop by during Open Research Hours to dig deeper into the history of Portland’s Civil Defense.

Here are a few pictures from the day. Enjoy!

Getting up close and personal with the historic exhibit

Perusing the preservation display

Putting history together piece by piece

Touring the closed stacks

And of course getting the Oregon Archives Crawl passport stamped

Thanks to our wonderful presenters who gave real life examples of how they use archives!

Tanya March talked about the many different topics she has researched here including the work she did in preparation for the Re-Building South Portland exhibit opening this Friday, 10/8 at the Architectural Heritage Center.

Joanne Oleksiak discussed her research regarding the Albina Mural project and provided a preview of the upcoming exhibit Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride: African American Murals at the Oregon Historical Society opening November 16^th.

Drop by PARC for tours, a chance to look at some historical records, and in general, check out what the Portland Archives has to offer!  Some additional activities:

At 12:00 noon Tanya March will discuss how she used appraisal records, scrap books, historic maps, Polk Directories and other resources found at the Archives to help pull together the exhibit materials for a new exhibit at the Architectural Heritage Centerand to expand her research on the Guilds Lake development during the 1930s and 40s. Bring your questions about doing a neighborhood history and how to incorporate archival records.

Throughout the day, Joanne Oleksiak will talk about her research on the 1977 Albina Mural project and what she learned at the Archives while preparing for the local component of a national exhibit on African American murals. The exhibit entitled Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride will open at the Oregon Historical Society in November.

Please note that Saturday and the Archives Crawl is for celebrating and not for research! The Archives staff will be busy giving tours and showing off some of the historical collections and won't be able to accommodate research requests. If you'd like to do some research, we invite you to visit us during our normally scheduled Research Room hours.

List of participating organizations:

• Archives of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon
• Genealogical Forum of Oregon
• Library and Archive of Grieg Lodge 15, Sons of Norway
• Hellenic-American Cultural Center and Museum
• Holy Names Heritage Center Archives
• Lewis and Clark College, Watzek Library
• Mazamas Archives and Museum
• Metro Archives
• Multnomah County Records Program
• Oregon Health and Sciences University
• Oregon Jewish Museum
• Oregon Nikkei Center
• Oregon State Archives
• Oregon State Library
• Oregon State University Archives
• Pacific University
• Portland Art Museum, Crumpacker Family Library
• Portland Police Historical Society
• Reed College Library, Special Collections
• University of Portland Archives
• Washington County Museum
• Willamette University
• Dill Pickle Club
• Emporia State University, School of Library Science
• Northwest History Network
• Oregon Cultural Trust, Oregon Days of Culture
• Oregon Public Broadcasting, Oregon Experience

See you on Saturday!

You’ve heard of Pub Crawls, but have you ever heard of an Archives Crawl?

Neither had we, so we created one!

Everyone is invited to join us for the first annual Oregon Archives Crawl this October in celebration of Oregon Archives Month.  Walk, bike, run, or crawl between four different downtown locations and learn what local archives have to offer researchers, students, genealogists, scholars, homeowners, history buffs, and the curious of any age. We have something for everyone, old and young, native Oregonian and visitor passing through, professional and novice.

Travel at your leisure between the Portland Archives and Records Center, the Portland State University Library, Multnomah County Central Library and the Oregon Historical Society.  At each place you can tour the facilities and participate in activities that bring history to life. The Oregon Historical Society and the Multnomah County Central Library will also be hosting displays by other area archives including the Oregon Jewish Museum, Willamette University, Oregon State Archives, Lewis & Clark College, the Oregon State University, the Mazamas and the Washington County Museum. Each location and participating organization will have family friendly activities throughout the day.

A free Archives Crawl “passport” will be issued to help you navigate the crawl. A fully stamped passport enters you in a raffle drawing at our After Party at the Oregon Historical Society, where there will be light refreshments, live music and a whole lot of fun.

Join us for the first annual Oregon Archives Crawl and become a part of history!

First Annual Oregon Archives Crawl
Saturday, October 2
11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Free and Open to the Public
Starting at any of the following locations: Portland Archives &
Records Center, Portland State University Millar Library, Multnomah
County Central Library or the Oregon Historical Society.

The After Party hosted by the Oregon Historical Society
Saturday, October 2

4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Free and Open to the Public
Enjoy fun, music, and raffle prizes!

For more information, including a complete list of participating organizations: http://pdxarchivists.wordpress.com/

We didn't know this object’s origins, except that a student named Kelly Hopper from Markham Middle School had made it and gave it to Mayor Bud Clark in 1985. This unique gift became a part of the archives and has been displayed on many occasions. This particular artifact is a great example of how the city’s history and its citizens intertwine.

At our Grand (Re) Opening the artifact and its origins reunited.  Kelly Hopper’s art teacher from Markham Middle School, Emily Young, recognized the piece and told us the story behind its creation. She had given her students an assignment to create a 3D ceramic object based on inspirations found in the classroom. Young had the Expose Yourself to Art poster hanging in her classroom from which Kelly took her cue, creating her own version of Bud Clark. Young talked about how excited she was when she and Kelly went to City Hall to present the figure to the Mayor.  She had fond memories of that experience and was very pleased to see that the piece was still around.

It doesn’t happen very often but sometimes we get lucky and can fill in a missing piece of the story.  Thanks to Emily Young for her contribution to the city’s history!

Thanks to everyone who dropped their name in the hat (or rather an acid free box) to enter into the historic picture raffle at our Grand (Re) Opening. We had over 130 people enter the raffle.

And the winners are…

Kristin C

Donah B

Amber L

Todd D

Andrew W

Stanley C

Linda R

Emma C

Each winner has been notified

If you missed out on the raffle, you can access historical photos from the City collection via our online database Efiles (http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov). Several of the raffle prize images are available as PDFs in Efiles - download and print your own.

A2004-002.3564 : View of central Portland and east Portland

http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/webdrawer/rec/3056054/  

(click on the magnifying glass to view the picture)

A2005-001.865 : SW 4th Ave looking north toward Yamhill St

http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/webdrawer/rec/2769595/

(click on the magnifying glass to view the picture)

A2005-001.318 : N Interstate Ave and Albina Ave

http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/webdrawer/rec/2766204/

(click on the magnifying glass to view the picture)

Thanks to everyone who entered our raffle and stopped by during our Grand (Re) Opening. We hope you come back to visit during our open research hours.

Commissioner Randy Leonard and Auditor Lavonne Griffin-Valade listen to City Archivist Diana Banning as she makes her opening remarks.

PSU’s Lindsey Desrochers, Vice President of Finance, spoke about the partnership between the City of Portland and Portland State University.

Commissioner Leonard made a donation of fire bureau related documents to the City of Portland Archives.

Auditor Griffin-Valade and City Archivist Banning use “golden” scissors to cut the ribbon - officially re-opening the City of Portland Archives & Records Center.

Displays from the historical collection included police dockets from the 1890s and 1900s, photographs and maps from the construction of Bull Run dam, industrial maps of Portland, and original city ordinances and documents from 1851.

People reviewing the neighborhood notebooks consisting of pictures from various areas of Portland.

A group touring the closed stacks.

If you weren’t able to stop by for the (re) opening, we hope you can stop by during our open research hours.

Our new location is easily accessible for all kinds of researchers from students to city employees to citizens interested in Portland’s distant and recent history. Both the yellow and green MAX lines as well as numerous bus lines will drop you off right next to our building.  We are located on the 5^th floor and are currently open for research during designated Open Research Hours.

(Please note that we will be closed for research on the morning of May 18^th to set up for the event.)

To learn more about to see where we came from and our history, check out our exhibit “Portland’s Documentary Legacy” from our most recent Open House last fall. Help us celebrate the beginning of the next phase.

See you on Tuesday, May 18^th!

It has been a very busy 5 months.  In December we closed our doors to the public to move to our new location on the PSU campus.  In that time we have completed 2 inventories (one pre and one post – including relabeling all of the boxes), built the new shelving (dismantled in one location and re-built in the new location), moved roughly 30,000 cubic square foot of boxes, ledgers, maps, and other materials and settled the staff into the new facility.  It has been a long process but I think you’ll agree that the wait was worth it. We now have room to grow and a wonderful new Research Room to share with the public and city employees.

To visit the Research Room drop by during our open research hours (first come, first served). We are now located at 1800 SW 6th Avenue, Suite #550.

Monday, Tuesday & Friday                               Wednesday & Thursday

9:00 AM to 1:00 PM                                         12:00 AM to 4:00 PM

To learn more about what you will find when you come in take a few minutes to read through this document. And as always you search our online database at any time (www.portlandoregon.gov/efiles).

We had a table set up in the plaza with the other tenants in the building (and we were fortunate enough to be out there on the one sunny day of the week).  Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello.  We hope to see even more people at our Grand Opening set for Tuesday, May 18^th.

Read more about the event on Commissioner Leonard’s blog:

http://commissionerleonard.typepad.com/commissioner_randy_leonar/2010/04/asru-at-psu-grand-opening-.html

We can’t wait to re-open and share this amazing new space with everyone.  Until then, below are some photos of the final stages of the move.

The last cart of boxes – cart 1195…

How different the space looks when the boxes and shelves are gone…

The last box moved to the new location…

Ordinances are formal documents which carry the binding force of law and are passed by the Council in accordance with rules set forth in the City Charter.  Two kinds of Ordinances, emergency and non-emergency, appear on the Agenda.  Emergency Ordinances, designated in the Agenda by an asterisk preceding the agenda number, require a unanimous vote with at least four Council members present to vote.  Non-emergency ordinances come before Council twice and go into effect 30 days after passage by Council.  Public testimony is generally taken only at the first reading and the vote is taken at the second reading.   Only three votes are needed for approval.

Ordinances are also a great way to learn about how the City government functions (what exactly is the city’s business) and the City and its citizen’s priorities over time.  I see ordinances as some of the building blocks of our City; some are sweeping in their scope while most are small but important steps.

In terms of sweeping change check out Ordinance 7263 that changed street names after the 1892 consolidation or Ordinance 61325 which set up the current grid and numbering system and changed street names (for more information about the current grid and number system you can view or download this report – more on reports later). Regarding structural change of a different kind see Ordinance 17410 that authorized the hiring of the first female police officer.

For important smaller steps from the late 1800's check out Ordinance 310 which provided for the location of shade and ornamental trees in the streets of City of Portland and Ordinance 404 that authorized the purchase of a steam fire engine for use of Protection Engine Co. No. 4.

Many ordinances have been scanned are available to read and download from our online database like this one about accepting a land grant to increase the area of Forest Park (Ordinance 146520 - click on the magnifying glass icon to view the file).  To search for other ordinances go to Efiles.

This intersection was documented in 1939,

and in 1948…

“Illuminated directional signs” were added in 1953…

The signals were remodeled in 1963...

and the 1965 photo looks much like they do today.

I’ll be curious to see how this new couplet is looked back on in 50 years.

Since 1981, we have been working with City bureaus, students, professional researchers and the general public to provide access to city records. In that time there have been a number of books published from the research done with these records including Jewel Lansing’s Portland: People, Politics and Power; Marie Rose Wong’s Sweet Cakes, Long Journey and Peter Boag’s Same-Sex Affairs: Constructing and Controlling Homosexuality in the Pacific Northwest.

We are proud of our history and are looking forward to the next phase in the life of the City of Portland Archives and Records Center at our new location on the PSU campus. We’ll see you in May 2010 when we reopen!

We have also included a slideshow of images on the homepage from the City collection ranging in years from 1883 to 1974. We chose these pictures to demonstrate the type of images and subject matter that make up most of the collection; from road construction and aerials of the city to elected officials and park scenes. There are many images available to view and/or download from Efiles and we are adding more all the time.

The addition of this blog (the NEWS section) is part of our efforts to keep everyone more informed regarding what is going on at the City of Portland Archives & Records Center from move updates, to newly accessible records to event announcements. In conjunction with our blog we have started a Twitter feed (@pdxarchives) to broaden our communication efforts.

We still have a few updates and changes to make to the site, but those will happen over the course of the next few months. We are interested in your feedback on the website and the blog and any suggestions about you have for future posts. Please post a comment or send an email to sparc@portlandoregon.gov.

The pattern on the floor indicating where shelves used to be

The sheer volume of shelves needed to make use of the vertical space in the room as well as the pattern on the walls (much like the floor pattern) showing where shelves used to be

We are also documenting specific moments during the move like the last of the gray boxes from the main floor stacks (the bulk of our historical collection is at our new location)

And of course the nuance of moving flat map files through people sized doors at our old building – taking out each drawer, moving the file out to the truck, walking each drawer through two people sized doors while keeping the contents undisturbed, loading each drawer back into the file and stretch wrapping each so they don’t open during the transfer.

They arrived safe and sound

Moving in the earliest Council Documents seems appropriate as the first boxes in the historical collection to arrive at the new location. 

To learn more about what is in these boxes you can search Efiles our online database.

Council Documents 1855 - 1857

http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/Webdrawer/search/rec?sm_ncontents=uri_42378&count&rows=50

Council Documents 1851 - 1855

http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/Webdrawer/search/rec?sm_ncontents=uri_42377&count&rows=50

Moving over the journals, dockets and volumes

And now they are in their new home

The first boxes being loaded onto cart #1 (we are now up to cart #560)

The first full carts to arrive at the new location

The first boxes being loaded onto the newly built shelves at our new location.

While the boxes are being moved to the completed shelves in the new location, the other crew continues to build and bolt down the new shelving.

Now that the majority of the office has been moved and we are settling into our new space, the next phase is beginning. Last week we received deliveries of shelving materials to build out the 5^th floor stacks.  The materials were strategically laid out so the team building the shelves could start assembling quickly and easily.

By the end of last week the crew started building the shelves. First the framing and the braces, then placing the individual shelves.  You can see the very first row built in the far right corner. 

Monday they started drilling through the concrete to bolt the shelves into place. Progress is being made but it sure can be loud! I for one think the shelves make it feel more like home.

We have moved our offices to our new location on the PSU campus and for the time being we will be dividing the staff and working out of our old and new locations. We are still working out the quirks that come with a new space from making sure we all have the permissions needed to enter the space via proxy card to getting the computers set up with access to the internet and servers. There is so much technology to get up and running in an office these days. 

The office move itself was VERY smooth and ran like clockwork. And we have been able to unpack the supplies in the new office space and the reference materials in our new reading room.

We are just about ready for the next phase – building the new shelving and moving over the collection.

I will be the primary writer/coordinator/promoter of this blog but I will definitely solicit and include guest bloggers, experts, artists and researchers – really anyone who has something useful to say about using the PARC collection and making it more accessible for everyone. If you have ideas or suggestions please send them my way at mary.hansen@ci.portland.or.us.

We are exploring the best ways to use other forms of social media and have started a Twitter feed (@PDXArchives) to coincide with our new blog. So here we go…let the communication and fun begin!

When will the Archives and Records Center be closing?

When will the Archives and Records Center re-open?

Can I still make appointments to view records while you are closed?

Why is there a delay in responding to my email or phone call?

What is the new address?

What is the new mailing address?

What is the new phone number?

Will it still be free to come in a do research after the move to the PSU campus?

Why are you going to be closed so long?

Are you now part of PSU?

Is there an online database that I can search?

How do I get access to records I find on Efiles?

How do I find a birth or death certificate?

How do I find a marriage license or divorce record?

Who do I contact to get a police report?

How do I find a land use record or plan?

I am doing research on my house, who should I contact?

How do I find out who owns a piece of property?

How do I find old permits for my house or business?

City Specific

What do I do if I have boxes I want to send for storage?

Can I return files or boxes during the move?

Can I get access to my Bureau's records during the move?

I have a question about Efiles?

General Answers

When will the Archives and Records Center be closing?

November 30, 2009

When will the Archives and Records Center re-open?

May 3, 2010

Can I still make appointments to view records while you are closed?

No, we are not open for research during the move, which means we will not be scheduling any onsite appointments for members of the public or city employees to review files or do research. Additionally, we will not provide email or phone reference during the move.

Why is there a delay in responding to my email or phone call?

During the move, all staff will be involved with preparing for the move and making sure that all records make it safely to the new facility. Therefore staff will only be checking voicemail and email 2-3 times daily. We will not be answering reference or research questions while we are closed.

What is the new address?

1800 SW 6th Avenue, Suite 550

Portland, OR 97201

What is the new mailing address?

PO Box 9072

Portland, OR 97207

What is the new phone number?

503.865.4100

Will it still be free to come in a do research after the move to the PSU campus?

Yes, it will remain free to do research at the City of Portland Archives and Records Center (PARC)

Why are you going to be closed so long?

Unlike a house or office move where placement in a specific room is generally enough needed to locate something, it is very important in an archives and records center to know exactly where every box, map, and book is located.  Our entire staff will help move more than 30,000 boxes containing maps, plans, books and photographs to our new location on the PSU campus.  Since the collections date back to the 1850s and contain many fragile and sensitive records, all care is needed to ensure their safety.

Are you now part of PSU?

The City of Portland purchased a portion of the new PSU Academic and Student Recreation Center and owns the portions of the building the Portland Archives and Records Center will inhabit.  While we will occupy portions of the PSU building, we remain a division of the City Auditor's Office.  We are very excited to be moving to campus, where it will be easier to access the facility via public transportation (we're on the Max, street car and bus lines!).

Is there an online database that I can search?

Yes, you can use Efiles to search the Archives and Records Center database.  If a file is available online you will see a magnifying glass icon.  Click on the magnifying lass to view the document or image. If a file is not available online, you may come in for open research hours to see it in our new reading room after we re-open May 3, 2010.

The following link will take you to the search page: http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/

For questions about Efiles go here: http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?c=39968

How do I get access to records I find on Efiles?

Some records have the actual document or image associated with it and you can click on the magnifying glass icon to view the image or text.  For records that do not have a magnifying glass icon, researchers may come in for open research hours beginning May 3, 2010 when we reopen.

How do I find a birth or death certificate?

The State of Oregon holds all vital records including birth and death certificates and marriage and divorce records.  Call 971-673-1190 to inquire about vital records.

How do I find a marriage license or divorce record?

The State of Oregon holds all vital records including birth and death certificates and marriage and divorce records.  Call 971-673-1190 to inquire about vital records.

Who do I contact to get a police report?

Call the Police Bureau’s Records number at 503-823-0043

How do I find a land use record or plan?

Call the Bureau of Development Services at 503-823-7660

I am doing research on my house, who should I contact?

One of the first places you should check is the Bureau of Development Services' Resource Records.  You can reach them at 503-823-7660.  Other helpful resources: the Multnomah County Recorder's Office at 503-988-3034 and the City Directories, also known as the Polk Directories.  The directories can be found at the central branch of the Multnomah County Library (downtown) and the Oregon Historical Society.

How do I find out who owns a piece of property?

Call Multnomah County Assessment and Taxation Division at 503-988-3326

How do I find old permits for my house or business?

Call the Bureau of Development Services at 503-823-7660

City Specific Answers

What do I do if I have boxes I want to send for storage?

We will not be accepting new boxes (accessions) during the move (December 1, 2009 – May 3, 2010).  We are asking Bureaus to keep boxes until we have completed the move and post move inventory. Requests to transfer new records will not be retained by the Archives & Records Center during this closure. Please resubmit your Records Transfer Workbook upon our May 1st reopening.

Can I return files or boxes during the move?

We will not be accepting return boxes, files or records during the move (December 1, 2009 – May 3, 2010).  We are asking Bureaus to keep boxes, files and records until we have completed the move and post move inventory.

Can I get access to my Bureau's records during the move?

For City Employees requesting access to their Bureau's records, please note that an abbreviated delivery schedule will be followed for the duration of the move. Request for records will be filled on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I have a question about Efiles?

Contact Tim Hunt at 503-823-4565 or go to the Efiles search help page: http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?c=39968