Contra Costa County Library Launches Database Full of Local History

Contra Costa County Library announces the launch of Remember & Go, a database of photographs, artifacts, newspaper clippings, documents, maps, and other important items related to the history of Contra Costa County. Remember & Go serves as a digital “gateway” to treasures held by the Library and in local historical societies throughout the County.

Funding to create Remember & Go came from a $49,000 grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. 

During the grant period, the Contra Costa County and the Moraga Historical Societies piloted with the Library by contributing notable pieces for the digitization project that will bring added visibility to their collections. Bay Area News Group granted permission for the scanning and display of the Library’s historical newspaper clippings.

“I’m pleased to announce the Remember & Go database with its rich, cultural resources, storytelling that captures our history, and evocative imagery to promote a time and place. We look forward to building the digital archive and continuing our partnerships with other historical societies and nonprofits dedicated to the preservation of Contra Costa County’s heritage,” said Cathy Sanford, Interim Contra Costa County Librarian.

Remember & Go will continue to expand as Contra Costa County Library partners with other local historical societies and related institutions. The Library anticipates the database becoming a valuable resource not just for researchers, but also for teachers, students, and anyone interested in County history.

The historical collection currently includes over 100+ items among the following categories: Art and Artifacts from Contra Costa; The Legacy of Thomas Brown, the County’s First Clerk-Recorder; The Library’s Historic Map Collection; The Lost Towns of Contra Costa; and Your Library – The First Hundred Years and Beyond. Each object in the database has been digitized, cataloged, and made freely accessible to anyone visiting Remember & Go or the Contra Costa County Library’s visual catalog. GIS mapping of each object's location and socially interactive applications such as tagging and the ability to post comments add personal interest to the website. 

Contra Costa County Library’s mission is bringing people and ideas together, and serves over 947,822 residents of urban, suburban, and rural communities through 26 community libraries, 3 Library-a-Go-Go book dispensers, and online library services available 24/7 at ccclib.org. The Library circulates over 7 million items annually with over 3 million virtual visits to the Library website each year. The Library is considered a leader in technology and access to information.