Latest News Stanford University Libraries Assume Stewardship of the California Historical Society Collection – Businessfortnight

PALO ALTO, Calif. and SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 28, 2025 — Stanford University Libraries (SUL) has assumed permanent stewardship of the California Historical Society Collection (CHS), a significant assemblage of over 600,000 items that encompass California’s history from the 18th century onward.

The collection, acquired in collaboration with the Bill Lane Center for the American West, will henceforth be known as the California Historical Society Collection at Stanford. It is set to be accessible to the public and academic community in the upcoming years. Following the signing of a transfer agreement last June, all materials have been successfully relocated to Stanford.

This newly acquired collection will enhance Stanford’s existing archival resources on California and the American West, serving as an invaluable asset for scholars, students, and the general public engaged in the study of the region’s rich past. Michael A. Keller, the Ida M. Green University Librarian at SUL, remarked on the significance of the collection.

“From its origins, the California Historical Society has focused on collecting and preserving the history of the West and has amassed a remarkably rich and diverse archive over the years,” Keller stated. “Its collections of books, journals, letters and postcards, maps, photographs, newspapers, and more form an enormous, relatively untapped resource for historical research, teaching, and understanding the history of California and the western region.”

The CHS Collection features items dating back to the early 18th century and spans approximately 16,000 linear feet. It is distinguished for its rare and diverse materials, marking it as one of the most important repositories for California state and local history.

Notably, the collection includes original documents from significant historical events, such as the Gold Rush, the establishment of statehood, and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. Additionally, it harbors unique collections, including records from the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California that trace back to the early 1900s.

Stanford historian Gordon H. Chang, the Olive H. Palmer Professor in Humanities, has extensively utilized the CHS archive in his work on the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project. He emphasized the archive’s importance, stating:

“The Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford devoted considerable attention to mining the CHS archive and found material never used by previous railroad scholars,” Chang highlighted. His work demonstrates the depth of the CHS Collection and its synergy with Stanford’s own archives relevant to the history of Asian Americans, African Americans, and Mexican Americans.

Richard White, the Margaret Byrne Professor of American History, Emeritus at Stanford, has also drawn on the CHS Collection for his research, noting its exceptional value:

“For me the CHS Collection is one of the most valuable, and underutilized collections in California,” White noted. “It will augment SUL’s holdings in the American West, helping to fill in gaps from the nineteenth and early twentieth-century California. This is an incredibly rare opportunity to bring an archive of this significance to Stanford.”

David M. Kennedy, the Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History, Emeritus at Stanford and founding Faculty Director of the Lane Center, expressed that the addition of this collection will position Stanford as the leading site for historical research concerning California and the broader North American West.

The governance of the CHS Collection was a topic of strategic consideration for the CHS Board, which evaluated numerous leading research and public institutions in California. Ultimately, it was determined that SUL was the most suitable steward for managing and developing the CHS Collection. Jen Whitley, CHS Interim CEO, emphasized SUL’s capabilities:

“SUL brings a strong infrastructure that spans a network of twenty libraries across Stanford’s campus and an expansive team with knowledge and expertise in collections development, digitization, preservation, and technology development,” she stated. “Through SUL’s partnership with the Bill Lane Center for the American West, the CHS Collection will continue to enhance our understanding of California and the Western region.”

Richard Saller, Stanford’s twelfth President and the Kleinheinz Family Professor of European Studies, remarked on the significance of this addition in relation to the university’s mission:

“At a time when historical perspective is so critical, the California Historical Society Collection will provide a treasure trove of information about long-term trajectories over the past two centuries.”