Office of the
City Clerk

LONG BEACH – The week of May 6, 2019 – May 10, 2019, is recognized as Clerk’s week nationwide. The City of Long Beach was incorporated in 1897. As a 122-year-old City, many historical and permanent records have endured the test of time. To prevent the further degradation of historical records, City Clerk Monique De La Garza and City Clerk Specialist Lynsey Lascano are leading restoration preservation efforts.

“The preservation of records is important to give future generations access to the vibrant history of the City of Long Beach,” said Monique De La Garza. This effort is a top priority of the City Clerk.

In the infancy of the City of Long Beach, the City Council was called Board of Trustees. Information like this is available through the meticulous record-keeping from the early 19^th century City Clerks.

Minute books, resolutions, and ordinances are just some of the important permanent records in custody of the City Clerk’s Office. On September 21, 2018, the Office of the City Clerk collaborated with Kofile Technologies to begin these preservation efforts. In recent weeks, Kofile Technologies has completed five books containing City of Long Beach ordinances ranging from March 2, 1888, to July 16, 1896, resolutions ranging from March 23, 1894, to June 25, 1896, and minutes ranging from March 2, 1888, to June 28, 1897.

Each page is surface cleaned, deacidified, and mended. All adhesives and non-archival materials were removed. Every preserved page is protected in a High Optical Clarity Polyester pocket. These polyester pockets will not yellow, brittle, or react with the ink. These new books have been preserved in newly bound Disaster Safe County Binder™. These binders will protect pages from fire, water, mold, humidity, pollutants, UV light, rodents, and impact.

The Office of the City Clerk has over a hundred leather-bound books with historical and permanent records. It will continue to be the priority of the City Clerk to preserve all records to endure the test of time.

Lynsey Lascano expressed, “working with historical documents in antiquated oversized leather-bound books with handwritten cursive writing takes me back in time. Truthfully, they look like they belong in a scene from the Harry Potter Hogwarts Library. I hope everyone gets to see them someday.”

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