Volunteering in the Archives

One way to help SMA make our records more accessible is by transcribing early City records through the crowdsourcing project available at FromThePage. This project is accessible online to everyone, from anywhere at any time! Help us transcribe and make more accessible documents like letters and petitions submitted to City agencies and officials, as well as early City Council minutes and ordinances. Most records date from the 1870s to the 1890s and contain glimpses into the lives and activities of a growing Seattle. To participate, go to FromThePage and create your own free login, choose a page to transcribe, and follow the brief transcription guidelines provided.

SMA also has a limited in-person volunteer program mainly for students in archives/library degree programs, particularly those who need fieldwork or internship credits to graduate. Possible tasks may include:

  • Scanning images for inclusion in the online photograph database
  • Assisting with processing records from various City departments
  • Appraising, cataloging, and digitizing video and film
  • Working with electronic records
  • Research projects
  • Working with analog and digital audio
  • Cataloging publications for inclusion in our documents database
  • Assisting with creation of online exhibits

Please note that on-site volunteers need to be available to work during SMA's business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:00-5:00). We invite anyone interested in volunteering on site to contact us.

Municipal Archives, City Clerk

Jeanie Fisher, Interim City Archivist
Address: 600 Fourth Avenue, Third Floor, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 94728, Seattle, WA, 98124-4728
Phone: (206) 684-8353
archives@seattle.gov

The Office of the City Clerk maintains the City's official records, provides support for the City Council, and manages the City's historical records through the Seattle Municipal Archives. The Clerk's Office provides information services to the public and to City staff.