SVIC Collection History
In the thirty-five years between 1950 and 1985, Santa Clara Valley, California, moved from a world of orchards and farms surrounding a few cities of size to a renamed, dynamic world of technological innovation called Silicon Valley.
Centered around the development of the computer chip, dozens of companies like Apple Computer, Hewlett-Packard Corporation, IBM Corporation and Intel Corporation established themselves in the Valley.
They were located along a geographical stretch from Palo Alto in the north to Gilroy in the south. Entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, university intellectuals and engineers were drawn to an environment of innovation, speed and competition.
The computers and computer-related products and their creators changed the world scientifically, technologically and socially.
As the San Jose Public Library watched the creation of this new culture of technology, it became clear that there was a need to document the phenomenon.
Here was a world in which people were seeking cutting-edge careers, where companies were creating unique cultures, where writing, recording and publishing materials about their products and their companies came fast and often unconventionally.
The San Jose Public Library concluded that libraries had to pay attention and be relevant to this new world of technological evolution.
Mike Ferrero of San Jose Public Library and Virginia Carpio, then Assistant City Librarian for San Jose Public Library, developed 3 grant proposals over 3 years, beginning in 1985, all approved by the California State Library.
The first was a needs survey which was conducted with technology companies and with public, specialized and academic libraries throughout the Silicon Valley.
With the enthusiastic collaboration of librarians, consultants and top managers who responded to the survey, a board of advisors chaired by Apple manager Monica Ertel was formed, and thus the Silicon Valley Information Center (SVIC) began at the Main Library, then on San Carlos Street in downtown San Jose.
Two subsequent grants allowed the board and SVIC’s professional staff to shape services and gather a collection of materials over 7 years (1986 – 1993).
Instrumental in the development of the collection were Patricia Curia and Wynne Dobyns, who managed the Center after Mike Ferrero and Virginia Carpio assumed other responsibilities.
Then-City Librarian Homer Fletcher deserves much credit for SVIC’s success.
He understood the phenomenon that was taking place.
He provided support and encouragement to pursue grants and was excited and pleased to see the Center up and running.
SVIC’s collection was a cornerstone reflecting the history of the valley’s technological innovation.
It held current information about companies and products, as well.
SVIC became a global technology reference service with queries arriving from around the world.
The collection also served the needs of job seekers, students, employees doing company projects, specialized researchers and other libraries.
SVIC performed its valuable public services for 7 years.
Unfortunately, budget limitations resulted in the demise of the Center in 1993.
The collection was preserved, however, and now serves as an historical record.
The above background information on the history of the Silicon Valley Information Center project has been provided by Virginia Carpio, Assistant City Librarian, Retired.
August 2006. Note: Kathleen Kearney Keeshen, MLIS, Ph.D., who inventoried the company boxes as a project for this collection, served on the SVIC Board of Advisors as the IBM management representative between 1986 and 1991.
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