Local History Collections Development Policy

What is the Local History Department?

The Eagle Valley Library District and the Eagle County Historical Society have a rich historical collection located at the Eagle Public Library. We are dedicated to sharing resources and information about Eagle County and the surrounding areas. For further information, to make a donation, or to make an appointment, please call the Eagle Public Library, or email us.

Collection Development: What We Collect & Why

  • Can be integrated into existing collections and maintained to the best of the Local History Department’s ability based on available space, time, and cost

  • Do not pose an immediate threat to other items currently in EVLD holdings (i.e. mold, pest or insect activity, etc.)

  • Fill a gap in the collection or contextually add meaning to other items currently in EVLD holdings

  • Can be adequately documented to be of use for researchers, patrons, and staff

  • Family photographs and negatives

  • Family heirlooms: awards, clothing, scrapbooks

  • Artifacts: eyeglasses, saddles, writing pouches

  • Eagle County records: taxes, registers

  • Those that are not included or have met/exceeded Eagle County retention schedules

  • Rare books, both mass publication and specialized

  • Personal, handwritten stories from Eagle County natives and pioneers

  • Annual government releases and reports: Forest Service, master plans, proposals

  • Newspapers and newspaper clippings

  • Maps, current and historical

  • Posters

  • Oral histories and transcriptions

  • Fiction, non-fiction, and new release books for general circulation

  • Dissertations and collections of scholarly research with a focus on Eagle County, western Colorado, and/or the western slope

  • Subject to complete archival processing (any combination of preservation, inventory, rehoming, creation of collection guide, indexing)

  • Scanned (when available/necessary) for upload and web viewing

  • Cataloged for OPAC and patron searching

  • Stored at the Eagle Public Library

  • Develops downloadable documents available on the Local History website

  • Participates in social media using collected photographs, artifacts, and stories

  • Provides photographs for publications, newspapers, researchers, authors, etc.

  • Curates a circulating collection of works by local authors, scholarly research, and historical writings

  • Preserves items for long-term storage and safe use for future generations

Interested in making a donation or seeing the collection? Please make an appointment by calling the Eagle Public Library, or emailing us.