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Santa Barbara County highlights digitization of 1850–1863 minute books and expands public access
Summary
County staff announced that the Clerk of the Board has digitized the county's earliest minute books (1850–1863), housing originals at UCSB Special Collections and offering online access plus public kiosks and a public-facing window to increase accessibility as the county moves to fully digital records.
At a meeting addressed to Chair Nelson and members of the board, county staff announced that the Clerk of the Board has digitized the county's earliest minute books, dating from 1850 to 1863, and made them available online through a collaboration with UCSB Special Collections.
The digitization project, credited to former Third District Supervisor Doreen Farr and former Chief Deputy Clerk Mike Allen, moves historical county records from physical archives into an online format. Speaker 2, an unidentified county staff member, told the board that the originals are housed at UCSB Special Collections while the digitized copies are accessible to the public worldwide.
Speaker 2 said the effort is intended to broaden access. "The office of the Clerk of the Board is the official record keeper for the County Board of Supervisors," Speaker 2 said, and added that the county provides online access to its records. Speaker 1 asked whether "any member of the public can do their research?" and Speaker 2 answered affirmatively, noting county departments, researchers and members of the public may use the digitized archives.
County staff also described practical steps to improve access for residents without home internet: a public-facing window at the Clerk of the Board's office and kiosks in Santa Maria that provide on-site access to the digitized records. Speaker 2 said this is part of a broader move to "fully digital processing of board items and record keeping," which staff expect will expedite access for both the public and county departments.
The minute books contain material that staff said brings county history to life; Speaker 2 cited entries noting early local institutions such as a beach club in Montecito and the historical renaming of the Santa Barbara National Forest to Los Padres National Forest. The digitized volumes and the preservation of originals at UCSB are intended to support historical research and transparency about the county's origins.
No formal motions or votes on the digitization were recorded in the transcript; the item was presented as an administrative/ informational matter on the agenda (Administrative Item No. 16 from the County Health Department).
