by Anne Petersen
Monica Orozco, Anne Petersen and Stephanie Byrd with the new compact shelving until at the Santa Barbara Mission Archive Library.
Our neighbors at the Santa Barbara Mission Archive-Library recently received a grant for new compact shelving for their collections. Library Director Monica Orozco, Ph.D. spent weeks prepping the main storage room, overseeing the packing of books, photographs and archival materials into clean banker’s boxes, and removing the existing shelving. The new shelving unit is built on a platform and covered with new flooring that subtly ramps up to the unit. Aisles open at the push of a button, and when fully compacted, the contents are earthquake-safe.
Anne Petersen and Stephanie Byrd rehousing SBMAL’s De la Guerra Collection.
Last Friday, I brought along SBTHP’s new intern Stephanie Byrd to help out with Monica’s month-long project to reshelve all those banker’s boxes and fill the new unit. Knowing that SBTHP is the steward of Casa de la Guerra, Monica saved the De la Guerra collection especially for us to file away in its new home. The collection includes an amazing array of family papers from Don José de la Guerra’s invoices and receipts, to his son Pablo’s correspondence. It’s a treat to be able to peek behind the scenes during an installation like this. Thanks Monica, for sending out the call for help, we will gladly answer any time.
If you are interested in the contents of the Santa Barbara Mission Archive Library’s De la Guerra Collection, you can see the finding aid here. If you are interested in making an appointment to visit the Library, you can find more information here.
Anne Petersen is SBTHP’s Associate Director for Historical Resources