About us

What we do

Portland City Archives 

The Portland City Archives, part of the Archives & Records Management Division, is the official home of the City's historical records. We ensure open and accountable government by preserving the City's history and making it available to the public.

We provide historical information about City government from Portland's founding in 1851 to the present. Topics covered in the City's historical collections include urban planning, parks, land use, public works, economic development, public safety, and a wide range of social issues. Our team of archivists manage our City's historical collections, provide reference assistance, curate exhibitions, and host archival education workshops, tours, and other community events.

• Conduct research at the City Archives
• Learn more about the types of material we collect with our Collecting Policy
• Explore our collections through our online catalog, Efiles 
• Check out our exhibits and oral history programs

Records management for City employees 

Archives & Records Management provides guidance and training to help City employees understand their recordkeeping responsibilities.  We provide tools to ensure Portland City public records are maintained according to legal requirements regarding record preservation, access, security, and disposition.

• Access records management training resources
• View records retention schedules

Who we are

• City Archivist: provides citywide leadership on archives and records management issues, manages the Archives & Records Management division, and oversees the Portland Archives & Records Center (PARC).
• Collections Manager: ensures consistent, accurate, and organized archival arrangement and description of historical records so that they remain accessible and discoverable to staff and the public. They work with City staff to transfer agency records to the Archives and with community members looking to donate archival items to the City historical collections. They also work in the Research Room to provide reference services alongside the Reference Archivist.
• Outreach Archivist: leads our exhibits and oral history programs. They also develop programmatic initiatives and educational tools to amplify reference services throughout the Portland community.
• Reference Archivist: serves as the primary point of contact with members of the public. They lead Archives reference and research operations, both in-person and through email. This includes classroom workshops, tours, and other public programming in collaboration with the Outreach Archivist.
• Archives Assistants: greet customers at the Portland Archives & Records Center (PARC) upon arrival, orient customers to policies and workflows, and pull and reshelve boxes of archival records requested by researchers. They are also responsible for scanning records for digitization requests submitted by the public and City staff.
• Records Manager: is responsible for maintaining the City's Records Retention Schedules - the set of policies that ensures City records are retained for the appropriate period of time to comply with Oregon Public Records law. They also provide guidance and training on records issues to City staff so they may better understand their public recordkeeping responsibilities.
• Electronic Records System Administrator: administers the City's electronic records management system, Content Manager. They help City agencies set up structures for organizing and filing their electronic records, integrate agency workflows into Content Manager, and conduct updates and maintenance on the system to ensure the security and long-term preservation of City records.
• Records Coordinator: oversees the Records Center. They work with City agencies to transfer physical records for storage, manages space in the Records Center, provides access to records for City staff through interoffice mail, and administers the annual destructions process for both physical and electronic records.

Meet the staff 

Contact us 

Records created by the City are available for inspection by the public unless they are exempt from disclosure. Please contact Archives & Records Management with questions related to your City records.