About a year ago, as I was looking for information related to the 1905-1906 Yosemite Boundary Survey, I spent a day in the Yosemite Research Library, upstairs above the museum in Yosemite Valley. The place is a veritable treasure trove, and well worth the visit, if for no other reason than to peruse the files and files of old photographs, maps, and books that they have there. While there, it became evident to me that the library staff (one person, part time as I recall) had a whole bunch of work to do just to keep up with normal paperwork and research requests, to say nothing of any updating of their systems, specifically digitalization, so that the Library's resources could be shared online.
Per the NPS Website: The Yosemite Research Library, maintained by the museum, is a research resource with some 10,000 books relevant to Yosemite, as well as photographs and articles. The library is normally open to the public Monday through Thursday from 10 am to noon and 12:30 pm to 4 pm. Appointments are highly recommended to ensure library availability. Contact the park's librarian for details and appointments.
I recently came across a crowd funding request to help the library purchase a digital scanner, and I felt it was worth while to send a few dollars to the cause. The Sponsor (not me) describes it as follows:
I'm gathering contributions for the Yosemite Research Library, one of the largest, most important and most valuable collections of books, photographs and ephemera relating to Yosemite and its history in the world. The majority of the collection has not been digitized and is therefore unpreserved and unprotected should a disaster strike! Also, because it has not been digitized, it is largely unavailable except to those visiting the Library in person.
Let’s do something about it! Let’s help purchase modern, professional grade equipment to scan and digitize the Library’s catalogue to preserve, protect and make it available to all! Your contribution, large or small, will go a long way in assuring that the Yosemite Research Library’s collection will be there for all of us and future generations. DISCLAIMER: This is a private endeavor to get public support and contributions for said equipment. This fundraiser is not administered by the Yosemite Research Library, the Yosemite Museum, Yosemite National Park, the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior or any U.S. Government agency or any of its employees. Tis fundraising campaign was launched at the suggestion of a representative of the Yosemite Conservancy, the not-for-profit organization that administers grant based funding for Yosemite National Park initiatives
The website for donations, if you are interested, is here.
If you have an interest in Yosemite history, I would urge you to donate whatever you can to help this cause. Anything is appreciated, I am sure.