ELEANOR BLOSSOM MEMORIAL LIBRARY AND DESERT CABALLEROS WESTERN MUSEUM ARCHIVES
Visitor and Research Information
The Eleanor Blossom Memorial Library was founded in 1984 by family and friends of this active member of Las Senoras de Socorro, the Museum’s fund-raising auxiliary. It functions as a reference library for Western American art, culture and history.
The Library is available for use by volunteers, museum members, students, researchers, and the public during Museum hours Monday through Friday (10 am to 5 pm) by appointment. Children are welcome to use the Library with adult supervision.
All collections are non-circulating and may be used only within the Library. To ensure the preservation of these irreplaceable materials, access to certain collections, such as rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and other archival materials, may be restricted, requiring submission of a Research Request Form. Library personnel will be happy to assist you with your research by retrieving requested materials. Please be considerate by using care with library materials and by complying with instructions of Library staff and regulations of the Museum.
Holdings and Artist Files
General Book Collection
Books in the Library collection are not computerized at this time. Please ask Library personnel for assistance with the card catalog. The Library staff will be happy to assist you in locating books on shelves and in adhering to proper book handling guidelines.
Special Book Collection
Books not located on the open shelves in their proper place may be shelved elsewhere because of condition, value, size, subject, or technical processing (indexing, repair, bindery, etc.). In addition to browsing the shelves, it is always best to ask Library personnel to assist you.
Oversize books
are those that are too large to fit on the regular shelves and have been placed in a special section of the library.
Rare books
are protected in locked cases. A Research Request form must be submitted to use these materials.
Periodicals Collection
Periodicals include magazines, newspapers, and other serial publications available for browsing and research. Current issues are displayed in the Library, and back issues are shelved alphabetically by title, then in chronological order. The Library subscribes to many Western American Art magazines and museum publications. Please see the Library staff for assistance in using the Periodical Collection.
Archival Collections
Museum staff must supervise access to the archives. The archives include valuable research information; much of it contained in fragile or one-of-a-kind materials. Submission and approval of a Research Request Form is required for use of the archives.
It is often necessary to check more than one collection when searching for information on a given subject because each of these collections is distinguished by format (the physical form or nature of its materials) rather than by subject. Archival collections include:
Artist Files
This collection includes biographical information, exhibition announcements, pamphlets, and brochures documenting the work and exhibition record of individual artists. Published exhibition catalogs that are too small in size, too fragile in condition, or too unusual in format to be shelved in the regular book collection can be found in these Artist Files.
Arizona Bola Tie Society Archive
This collections contains the papers of the Arizona Bola Tie Society.
Auction and Sales Catalogs
Art, antiques, and rare book catalogs from several auction houses (Christie’s, Sotheby’s,, and others) are available for reference. These catalogs are filed by auction house and date of auction. There is no general subject index to this collection; most are accompanied by sales results.
Manuscripts
The Manuscripts Collection includes research materials on paper.
Photographs
The photographic collection includes images from early Wickenburg and its environs.
Multi Media
The Multimedia Collection includes programs on art and artists, as well as documentary films. All videotapes, DVD’s and CD’s may be used in the Library.
Oral Histories
The Museum’s oral history collection is available for use in the Library. This collection includes a variety of recordings in various media on area history and culture, collected since the early 1990s.
Acquisitions Policy
Gifts of books relating to the Library’s collecting scope are welcome. Please see Library staff for further information. All potential donations will be evaluated by staff.
Services
Photocopying
Photocopying is available for library users at a nominal charge. The Library staff will be happy to make copies for you; materials that are at risk of damage because of their fragile condition may not be photocopied. Federal copyright law places certain restrictions on photocopying. The Desert Caballeros Western Museum assumes no responsibility for copyright infringement by individual library users.
Internet Access
Library visitors may use our computers to access the internet for general research. The Internet enables the Library to connect electronically to ideas, information and commentary from around the globe and to offer access to many valuable local, national, and international resources.
