Collection Development Manual > Libraries & Collections > Special Collections > John Wilson Special Collections
John Wilson Special Collections
Collection Policy
A. Introduction
1. Mission Statement
The John Wilson Special Collections are the special collections of Multnomah County Library and contain rare books, manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, and other materials. The primary purpose of the John Wilson Special Collections is twofold: to serve the current users of the Multnomah County Library, while ensuring the preservation of these materials for use in the centuries ahead.
2. Purpose of the Policy
This policy is a document used to clarify the role of the John Wilson Special Collections within the greater institution of the Multnomah County Library.
3. Community and User Groups Defined
The users of the John Wilson Special Collections are as varied as the users of the Multnomah County Library with two notable exceptions: 1) because of the nature of the materials, the collections also attract scholars and other users from outside the primary audience and geographic scope of the library; and 2) because of the valuable nature of many of the collections' materials, fewer young adults and children use the John Wilson Special Collections than the rest of the library.
4. Description of the Types of Programs or Patrons' Needs
In addition to serving library users during regularly scheduled open hours, the John Wilson Special Collections also serve as a valuable resource for educational institutions, especially at the undergraduate level, throughout the Portland metropolitan area. Classes in various departments from these colleges and universities regularly schedule use of the collection for organized presentations by the John Wilson Special Collections librarian.
5. Exhibitions and the John Wilson Special CollectionsBecause of their unique characteristics, and often because of their strong visual appeal, the collections of the John Wilson Special Collections are regularly exhibited in Central Library's Collins Gallery, which allows more people to experience the materials without putting wear on them directly. Additionally, it provides outreach to publicize the Library's collections, and, when appropriate, an opportunity to publicly acknowledge a new gift to the Library. Also, a new exhibition case within the John Wilson Special Collections has been fabricated, and a schedule of six exhibitions a year has been established that will focus on highlights of the collections.
6. Brief General Description of the Collections and Information Resources
The collections currently contain approximately 10,000 volumes. These include many of the finest rare books ever published, in addition to materials that are less rare but have strong local significance. The primary format is books, but serials and periodicals are also present. There are also smaller collections of manuscripts, prints, photographs, and ephemera. English is the primary language collected, but Latin, Greek, and the major European languages are represented as well. A small number of materials in various Native American languages are also present.
Some collections are being maintained at their current size, although a number of collections are growing (see below under "Collection Profiles").
7. Cooperative or Collaborative Collection Management Issues
Although there is no formal cooperative collection management between the John Wilson Special Collections and similar collections in the community, the holdings of these collections are usually consulted before acquisitions or gifts are considered.
8. Annual Art Report
The John Wilson Special Collections Librarian is asked each year to produce a report for the Central Library Director for the Library Advisory Board that details notable new acquisitions and gifts, preservation activities, and outreach activities including exhibitions of the materials.
B. General Priorities, Limitations and Acquisitions Policies
1. Duplication, Binding Options, Nonprint Formats and Special Considerations
The John Wilson Special Collections may acquire duplicate materials, both inside the collection and outside (i.e., duplicating from the circulating and other collections in Multnomah County Library), if the item is considered significant to the holdings of the John Wilson Special Collections. For example, a potential acquisition or gift, already in the John Wilson Special Collections may be considered if the item in question has a particularly strong associational value or other physical characteristic (e.g.., signed by author, or special binding). Or a title may be considered for the John Wilson Special Collections if it is part of a particular core collection, even if owned in the circulating collections (e.g., Native American fiction).
Generally, if a choice is available, cloth-bound titles are preferred over paper, but other formats may be desirable (e.g., association; significant edition change, etc.).
The John Wilson Special Collections primarily collect books; other formats, however, are acquired if relevant to the collections involved. These include: serials, manuscripts, photographs, and ephemera. Audio and video recordings, unless closely associated with written sources (e.g., sound recordings attached to books) are not collected at this time.
Funding Considerations
Materials in the John Wilson Special Collections are mostly acquired with private monies directed through The Library Foundation or by in-kind gifts. Some materials are acquired with general funds of the Multnomah County Library.
3. Selection Responsibilities and Processes
The John Wilson Special Collections librarian has the ultimate responsibility for the contents of the John Wilson Special Collections. The librarian works closely with the Acquisition Supervisor in purchasing materials, and usually contacts dealers or other vendors directly having materials delivered to the John Wilson Special Collections first for approval (to ensure accuracy of description, etc.) before being sent to Technical Services for processing.
4. Gifts, Exchanges or Special Sources Materials
The John Wilson Special Collections librarian makes the final decision about all gifts to the John Wilson Special Collections. The gift policy is very selective: the same criteria are used for gifts as for purchased materials. The John Wilson Special Collections librarian works closely with donors and potential donors and cannot provide appraisals or tax advice but can advise donors on resources, and also provides acknowledgments on all gifts. All monetary gifts and bequests are made in coordination with The Library Foundation.
5. Collection Maintenance: Preservation, Conservation and De-selection
a. Preservation: the John Wilson Special Collections by their very nature, attempt to keep their materials preserved for the indefinite future. All considerations of the proper storage and use of these materials are made with this precept. Materials are continually examined to determine if preservation treatment is required and recorded on a form developed by the John Wilson Special Collections librarian.
b. Conservation: many non-invasive conservation techniques are applied to books and other materials in the John Wilson Special Collections by staff and volunteers, including the application of custom-made archival Mylar dustwrapper covers; sleeving of broadsides and photographs; and proper storage of manuscript collections using archival folders and boxes. Major conservation work is accomplished as materials are identified by the John Wilson Special Collections librarian, and appropriate professional conservators are chosen to perform the work, as funds are available.
c. De-selection: materials are removed on occasion from the John Wilson Special Collections if they are identified as being outside the scope of or inappropriate for the collections; or if a copy of the same edition in significantly better condition is offered as a gift. These materials are routed to the appropriate subject specialists within Central Library for further decisions.
6. Collection Profiles
The John Wilson Special Collections contain materials that have been in the library system since the origins of the library in the 1860s. In 1899, as a part of John Wilson's large bequest of more than 8,000 titles to the library, the foundation of the collection's antiquarian books was established (approximately 700 of John Wilson's original bequest remain in the John Wilson Special Collections).
Within the 10,000 volumes, six major core collections have been identified, described below. Each of the core collections in the John Wilson Special Collections contains some of the most important materials ever published within those collections, and in many instances, Multnomah County Library is the sole holding or one of a few holdings nationwide that owns a particular material.
Oregon and Pacific Northwest collection
a. Description: Numbering approximately 2,000 volumes, the subject content generally mirrors that of the Oregon Collection in Central Library. The collection contains almost all significant overland and Pacific Northwest coast maritime exploration accounts, most in first edition (often in the earliest edition in languages other than English), usually complete with all maps and engravings. Other materials include early Oregon legislative documents; travel accounts to the Oregon Territory; a selected collection of early Oregon newspapers and periodicals; early historical materials for Portland, including city directories; manuscripts and ephemera related to the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition; primary materials related to Timberline Lodge; and original photographs.
b. Purpose and Management: This collection is primarily historical materials, and serves mostly scholars, students, or those interested in genealogy. It is one of the more heavily used collections.
c. Collection Goals: The collection is not actively growing because other nearby institutions (notably Oregon Historical Society) cover this subject area more comprehensively. Gifts to the collection, however, are accepted if they fill a gap in the collection or replace an identical edition but in improved condition.
Natural History collection
a. Description: This collection is particularly strong in three areas of natural history: ornithology, roses, and fly-fishing. The foundation of the ornithology collections is the four-volume double-elephant folio of John James Audubon's The Birds of North America, given to the library in 1905; many later important editions of works by Audubon and other important early ornithologists are included. The Thomas Cook and Jesse Currey Rose collection was given to the Library in the 1930s, and is the foundation of the rose collection materials (see attached document for details), and contains the finest rose books ever published. In 1999, the Library received a substantial gift from the Flyfishers Foundation of Oregon which is the base of the fly-fishing collection.
b. Purpose and Management: The collection is primarily historical materials, and mostly serves general users, as well as illustrators, horticulturalists, and others interested especially in the visual qualities of these materials. The fly-fishing collection is just recently cataloged and therefore its primary user group is not established yet.
c. Collection Goals: The collection is growing slowly, with the intention of filling gaps, when gift opportunities arise, for significant titles within the three sub-collections.
Children's Literature collection
a. Description: The Children's Literature collection, known locally as the Junior Historical Collection, numbers around 2,000 volumes, and is especially strong in mid-twentieth-century illustrated books, but also includes very rare, important earlier titles, including A Happy Pair, Beatrix Potter's first illustrated book (1890), one of a dozen, worldwide, in public collections. The collection was enhanced significantly with a major gift in 2000 from the estate of Katharine McCanna.
b. Purpose and Management: The collection is primarily historical materials, with more recent materials added if the collection is particularly strong with works by a certain writer or illustrator (e.g., Maurice Sendak) or one of local interest (e.g., Evelyn Lampman). The collection serves general users, including graphic designers, illustrators, authors, and scholar of children's literature.
c. Collection Goals: This collection is growing slowly, with the intention of filling gaps, when gift opportunities arise, for significant titles by represented authors and illustrators.
Literature collection
Description: The collection contains two major areas of emphasis: Charles Dickens and D. H. Lawrence. The Dickens materials, largely a gift from two donors (Charles F. Adams, and Genevieve Thompson Smith), contains the largest collection in the Northwest of first edition serial-publications; other materials include first trade editions, correspondence, and a steel plate used for an illustration in David Copperfield. The Lawrence materials are largely a gift in 2000 from Gwyneth Gamble Booth, and contains approximately 130 items, including many first edition signed copies, and other rare materials. The Literature collection also contains first and other important editions of books by George Orwell, Franz Kafka, Alexander Pope, Samuel Johnson, Seamus Heaney, Ernest Haycox, William Stafford, and other significant writers.
Purpose and Management: The collection is primarily historical materials, with retrospective materials added. The collection serves scholars and students, and general readers as well.
Collection Goals: This collection is growing slowly with the intention of filling lacunae.
Native American Literature collection
a. Description: The collection, developed in 2004, contains fiction, short stories, drama, and poetry by American and Canadian Indian writers. Also collected are memoirs by writers who are known primarily for their literary work. Books (primarily first editions), along with earlier forms, including manuscripts, uncorrected proofs, advance reader copies, review copies, special presentation copies, are collected; broadsides and anthologies are also collected. Literary magazines are generally not collected unless a significant work is found within (e.g., New Mexico Quarterly containing the first published version of N. Scott Momaday's House Made of Dawn), or if the issue is largely devoted to Native American writers.
b. Purpose and Management: The collection contains both historical and current materials, with retrospective materials added. At this date, the collection is not yet catalogued, but it is expected to serve scholars and students, and general readers as well.
c. Collection Goals: This collection is growing rapidly with the intention of being as comprehensive as possible for all authors collected. A core collection of authors to be collected has been created (and constantly revised) and materials, both retrospective and current, are added when possible. As it exists today, the collection is the only one of its kind on the West coast, and one of the largest three collections in the United States.
Book Arts/History of the Book collection
a. Description: This collection contains materials that comprise the wide history of the book, having bound manuscripts as old as the mid-13th century and as new as books by contemporary book artists produced by hand this year. Important binders, papermakers, typographers, and printers, throughout all time periods, are represented here. Particular strengths include the English Private Press movement (especially, the Kelmscott, Doves, and Golden Cockerel presses), illustrated books and folios of prints (including Edward Curtis's The North American Indian and 10 volumes of etchings by Giovanni Piranesi), atlases and maps (including the 11-volume Blaeu atlas of 1662), books on books, and contemporary book arts by regional artists (including complete collections for select Portland artists). There is also an uncataloged major collection of printed ephemera (housed in manuscript boxes) organized by press name.
b. Purpose and Management: The collection contains both historical and current materials, with retrospective materials added. This collection serves general readers and book collectors, and is used frequently by students and faculty from throughout the community with classes from metropolitan colleges and universities having arranged visits to the collection. Because Multnomah County, and the Pacific Northwest, has many practitioners in the book arts, this is one of the more heavily used collections.
c. Collection Goals: This collection is growing moderately. Historical and current materials are added if they address a gap in the collection (e.g., type of binding, printing technique, book design, important private press), or to add to already strong holdings (e.g., of a particular press), or if they have particular regional appeal.
Other materials in the John Wilson Special Collections
a. Description: There are many volumes in the John Wilson Special Collections which do not fit neatly into one of the six core collections listed above. These include, among others, important and valuable holdings on art, architecture, Bibles and prayer books, music, the Occult, and travel accounts. There is also-at present-an unprocessed collection of approximately 1000 autographed photographs of music and dance performers who visited Portland in the early decades of the twentieth century, given to the library by Lois Steers in the 1930s.
b. Purpose and Management: The collection contains mostly historical materials, with retrospective materials added. This collection serves general readers, as well as those interested in specific materials represented here
.c. Collection Goals: This collection is growing slowly only as appropriate gifts are offered.
Policy Implementation, Evaluation, and Revision
Every three years beginning in 2008 the policy should be reviewed by the John Wilson Special Collections librarian along with appropriate library managers.
Appendix
Thomas Newton Cook and Jesse A. Currey Rose Collection
June 2004
The John Wilson Special Collections have a notable collection of rose books formed by two important rose fanciers: Jesse A. Currey and Thomas Newton Cook. Currey, originally from Philadelphia, moved to Portland in 1926, and was the driving force behind the establishment of the International Test Gardens in Washington Park. Cook, of Newton, Massachusetts, was a paper manufacturer. In 1926, two years after Cook's death, Currey presided over the American Rose Society. Cook's widow willed the collection to Currey, and he accepted it on the condition that it would be bequeathed to the Library. In the 1930s, Currey willed his own rose collection to the Library and a small fund was given by the Portland Rose Society in his name to acquire additional titles on roses, which the Library has done.
The main body of the collection included 187 titles from the bequest of materials owned by Cook. He acquired these from the Castle Craig Rose Library in Great Britain; these had been collected by a Scottish Earl, Lord Carmichael, the Master of Castle Craig on the Black Isle in Cromarty Firth, Scotland. The books, in languages including French, Italian, and Spanish, deal with the culture of roses from ancient times to the present day. They include bibliographies, catalogs, texts on rose cultivation and identification, and American Rose Society Annuals.
Materials in the Cook and Currey Rose Collection, considered one of the important historical rose collections in the United States, are included in the major rose bibliography (K. L. Stock, Rose Books: a bibliography.1550-1975, 1984; the John Wilson Special Collections' holdings are listed under the "Library Association of Portland"). The highlight is the first edition, three-volume set of Les Roses (Paris: 1817-1824) by Pierre-Joseph Redouté, the renowned painter of roses in the court of Empress Josephine Bonaparte. The Collection is also distinguished by the unique bindings designed by Cook. Many of his holdings were bound in ¾ rose-colored morocco, marbled end-papers, with tooled ornaments of roses on their spines.
The John Wilson Special Collections have materials published up until 1975 (the end-date of Stock's bibliography). Nothing is included in the collection published after 1975 unless the works are extraordinarily significant to the study of roses or unless they are a continuation of a serial that began at an earlier date that was already in the Collection. Materials in Stock that are not currently in the Cook and Currey Collection may be added when available as gifts or with gift monies.
June 28, 2004