Special Collections welcomes two new archivists this month: Chris Doan & Chloe Pfendler

The Department of Special Collections is thrilled to announce the hire of two new staff members into continuing appointment positions as processing archivists. The positions are funded by the Harold Hohbach Program Endowment, which was created from a gift by the Harold C. and Marilyn A. Hohbach Foundation. These positions will focus on making available collections highlighting the history of science, technology, and those that document changes and developments in Silicon Valley and further afield.

Chloe Pfendler joins us from the Hoover Institution at Stanford University where she has been employed since February 2021. Prior to that, she worked for seven years in the Manuscripts Division of the Princeton University Library as both a curatorial assistant and processing archivist. She brings a solid background in processing, metadata, outreach, and project management. She is also involved with the Hoover Library and Archives’ Ethical and Reparative Description working group.  

Chris Doan has worked as the archivist for the Archdiocese of San Francisco since 2015, though she has been active as an archivist in the Bay Area since 1998. She has extensive experience managing archives operations, collection management, and outreach for the Archdiocese, and while there has focused on exploring the diversity of the Catholic experience and collecting ethnically diverse material in the parish communities.  

Both have experience with digital projects and metadata which is a large component in our current collections. And their previous work with historically underrepresented communities echoes the focus of Stanford Libraries’ efforts to collect diverse archival materials, such as the Stanford Libraries working group on anti-discriminatory description. The Silicon Valley Archives program, with which we work closely, has been broadening their acquisition strategy to highlight work done by historically underrepresented individuals, such as: “Histories of African Americans in Silicon Valley.” The experiences that Chloe and Chris bring with them will be instrumental in achieving this goal.  

Chris and Chloe will begin work at our Redwood City Complex on August 15.^th We look forward to introducing them to colleagues on the main campus including those in the Silicon Valley Archives in Hohbach Hall.