Biographical History
The Silicon Valley Information Center (SVIC) was a special collection established at the San José Main Public Library which collected materials and provided services from 1986 until 1993 when budgetary constraints forced its closure.
Created in response to ever increasing demands on the public library for information concerning Silicon Valley-related issues, SVIC was the first centralized public facility to chronicle the birth, development and impact of the high technology industries of Silicon Valley. It contained historical archives and provided information resources (current at the time) on many of the valley’s high tech companies which were not indexed elsewhere.
Local companies contributed material to develop a corporate archival collection of annual reports, newsletters, product brochures, and other material. Until 1993, when budget limitations forced its closure, the SVIC collection provided resources for historical and environmental research, technological study, product marketing and employment searches. In 1988 nearly 9000 patrons (mostly job-seekers and individuals in the service industry who where researching potential clients) visited the SVIC. The collection was funded by a series of grants written by Mike Ferrero and Virginia Carpio, of the San José Public Library. The grants provided monies for the original needs assessment surveys as well as for the later services and materials provided by the center. Following the departure of Mike Ferrero and Virginia Carpio from the center, Patricia Curia and Wynne Dobyns continued to develop and manage the collection until its closure.
From the guide to the Silicon Valley Information Center Collection, 1986-1993, (San José Public Library, California Room)
