Archives Crawl Adds Free Shuttle Service on 1950s Vintage Bus | Arts & Culture

In celebration of National Archives Month this October, archives and special collections libraries from throughout the region will showcase their rarely-seen holdings during the 2nd Annual “Sacramento Archives Crawl” on Saturday, October 6.  Free and open to the public, the theme for the event this year is Building Sacramento, Building Communities and crawl participants can expect to see a wide range of historic materials documenting the growth of the region.  Showcasing historic treasures from twenty-two Northern California institutions, special artifacts will be on display at four host locations including the California State Archives, the California State Library, the Center for Sacramento History, and the Sacramento Public Library.  Due to the popularity of the first-year effort in 2011, “Sacramento Archives Crawl” event hours are expanded this year to run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.   Plus, Sacramento Public Transit is providing free shuttle service -- on a 1950s vintage bus – that will be available from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m.  Based on availability, pick-up locations and bus routes are available at www.sacarchivescrawl.blogspot.com.

Participants will “crawl” between four host locations, all located within downtown Sacramento. At the four locations, the public can view archival collections on display and take behind-the-scenes tours.  A sampling of the items on special display for the event include the following: drawings and early photos of the State Capitol building (California State Archives); fascinating architectural watercolors from the famous terra cotta company of Gladding, McBean (California State Library); an impressive collection of Tower Records memorabilia (Center for Sacramento History); and historic maps showing the growth of Sacramento from pre-Gold Rush to the late 20th century (Sacramento Room at the Sacramento Public Library).

In addition, representatives from other archives and special collections libraries will be at the host locations to discuss their archival collections - historic photographs, rare books, historic artifacts - and answer questions about how to connect with local history resources.  Crawl participants may start the Archives Crawl at any of the four host locations.  Following is a list of the four host locations for the 2012 Sacramento Archives Crawl and the repositories that will be set up at each.

California State Archives (1020 O Street)

California Department of Transportation Library and History Center

El Dorado County Historical Museum

Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, Gold Rush Research Library

Root Cellar - SGS Library

Sacramento City College Archives

Sacramento Historic City Cemetery Archives

Society of California Archivists

California State Library (900 N Street)

California State Parks Archives

California State University, Chico

University of California, Davis

Center for Sacramento History (551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd)

Little People of America Archives

Natomas Historical Society

Placer County Museums Archives & Research Center

Sacramento History Foundation

Temple/Congregation B'nai Israel Archives

Yolo County Archives

Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento Room (828 I Street)

California State Railroad Museum Library

California State University, Sacramento

Free Archives Crawl passports will be given to guests as they visit the first host institution of their choice.  The passport provides a map of the event and information about the participating archives and special collection libraries.  Event attendees who get their passport stamped at three of the four host sites will be given a set of limited-edition commemorative coasters that celebrate the theme of Building Sacramento, Building Communities with images of four Sacramento landmarks: Tower Bridge, the State Capitol, Sutter’s Fort and Memorial Auditorium.  In addition, all crawl participants will also receive free commemorative bookmarks (while supplies last) which feature an image of the Capital National Bank building construction crew pictured August 19, 1915.

This event was made possible by financial support from the Sacramento History Foundation, the California State Library Foundation, the Gordon-Goldstein Foundation, Stonebridge Properties, LLC, Patricia Johnson, Stephanie Hamashin and Hoppy Brewing Company.

For more information about the Crawl, visit www.sacarchivescrawl.blogspot.com.  The Sacramento Archives Crawl is part of Archives Month, a nationwide celebration held each October to raise awareness of the value of archives and to recognize the archivists who bring the past to the present.  For information about other events in California, visit www.calarchivesmonth.org.