All Eagle Valley Library District locations will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2024 in observance of Independence Day.

Regular library hours will resume Friday, July 5.

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.