I’m really not sure what to do….

While my collection is not as large nor as complete or valuable as yours I’ve mulled over the same thing. My son may want a few of my books on Pittsburgh sports teams, but the vast majority mean little if anything to our kids.

My best solution so far is to give them to a community based store that operates like Goodwill. Whatever they sell the books for will benefit local people.

I realize this is completely contrary to your desires but it will suffice for me. Best of luck in finding a solution to a difficult problem.

Regards,
Dennis

I’m in a simpler situation since I have two kids, and a number of younger friends who share my ACW interest. If either of my kids wants to keep the library, they can have it. If not, I’ll let my friends pick through it and then sell the rest for the benefit of my estate. It won’t keep it together, but I don’t see that as an issue.

FDU may have built more library space by the time you make the final journey, so that option may not be closed.

I had a similar issue w/ my math books, which I really don’t need anymore as I am not a prof. I kept some of particular interest, and offered the rest for sale to folks in the UM Math Department. A couple of post-docs cleaned me out, and I made a small pile of cash on it.

It’s too bad that Dickinson College could not accommodate your desire to keep the collection together. I love that idea. Perhaps you could float that idea out to another college or university library. The Special Libraries Association (SLA.org) might also be a good place to continue your search for a proper home for your impressive collection.

Whatever you decide to do, I would NOT recommend auctioning your collection. Bad things can happen…

http://posterityproject.blogspot.com/2012/05/breaking-up-is-easy-to-do.html

Chesterfield Public Library in Virginia (I think the Central branch; can’t remember which though I’ve been there), has a room dedicated to Civil War books. You have to use them there, no check out. They might be willing to accept your books; not sure what their purchasing policies are.
http://library.chesterfield.gov/screens/branchCentral.html

You could also try CW museums, for example, Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia. http://www.moc.org/

Another: Richmond History Center / Valentine Museum http://www.richmondhistorycenter.com/

Library of Virginia might be interested, too. http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

I guess it’s obvious that I’m from Virginia and there may be some self-interest at work here! Kidding aside, I don’t know about other areas, but you could probably find more local institutions that might be interested in the collection.

Due to space limitations I periodically donate books to our local university, California State University, Fresno. I check to make sure each book is not already in their collection and seek assurances that the books I donate will be catalogued and put on the shelves. In my case the university lacks many essential items, so they seem to welcome the donations. For example, I gave them their first copy of the SHSP. Whether the library gets rid of books ten or twenty years in the future I can’t control. I will ask my heirs to keep any books they want, have a library official go through the remainder, and take anything leftover to a good used book store.

Well, every time I start to think I have a decent library, I see a post & responses like this that remind me how many book collectors are still out there.

My opinion on this is that my library is special because it is “mine.” I do have some fine books, including some antique ones, and I want them to last forever, but once I’m gone and out of the equation, I wouldn’t mind donating them to a local historical society or museum and let them keep what they want and sell the rest to raise funds. I know you’re strongly opposed to that and I see your point, but to me the uniqueness of this collection is that it is “mine” and once it can no longer be mine, then I hope these books can benefit as many people as possible, even if they are parceled out. I can see that it would be cool to have them all kept together in some institution, but that is not as important to me as it is to you. It’s interesting to see such varied perspectives on this and that it is something so many have pondered.

This is something I’ve thought about too. I don’t think my daughters will want most of my books, and my line of thought has been something like Kevin’s – maybe talk to a couple of history professors I know and get a recommendation or two for an outstanding graduate student. It would be nice to think that my books could play a role in his or her career.
I also like JE’s idea of a small liberal arts college that lacks a good core group of Civil War books.

It’s true, libraries don’t keep donated collections together anymore unless you donate a few million dollars in addition. The larger the library, the more duplicates they’ll already have. In academia, there’s an old tradition of letting grad students take them, which is both how I built my collection and what I’ll do with mine eventually. If you want to keep them together, it would make a heck of an award to some struggling historian of cavalry.

I agree with Charlie’s suggestion. I have a library of fly fishing books (150+ titles) that I am dividing between two fly fishing museums; one here in the west and the other back in Vermont. Both museums make their libraries available to the public.

I am an attorney in western Kansas with an addiction to books. I have over 600 civil war and lincoln related books, over 600 books concerning western history, as many about world war II era, and probably 2000 other books (the histories of exploration, natural history, revolutionary war, and miscellaneous non-fiction and works of fiction). I even own a separate house across the street from where I live to hold my books. I have thousands of lps and cds there as well. I am 65 and face a dilemna much the same as yours. Our city library in Hays has a section titled the “Kansas Room” that is dedicated to history books related to the civil war, western history and other Kansas related matters. I’ve thought about willing my library to the Kansas room, but expect a severe culling. My hometown library is in Seneca, Kansas and it was the source of my first love interest in books and reading. I may offer them a share of the books. Ft. Hays State University is here in Hays and may have an interest in some of the books. My alma maters are Kansas State University and the University of Kansas. But, I have no idea of an interest they may have in such matters. I face the probability that no one other than myself and a few enthusiasts spread over the country are really interested in my collection. Maybe someone could establish server list of individuals who desire to be considered for trust, probate or lifetime donations of intact libraries.

As I browsed through other author’s notes and photos in the collections at Carlisle, I decided that mine will go there when the time comes – hopefully, no time soon for any of us!

Eric,

My library has over 4500 volumes on the Civil war and an additional 2500 on other wars and history in general. With the good work that the Civil War Trust is doing in conjunction with many of the individual battlefield organizations, there appears to be new visitor centers and the need for libraries springing up fairly regularly. I am hoping, when the time comes, to have my heirs donate my library to one of those new battlefield parks.

Andy

A conundrum, to be sure. I think I’m at 1400 right now on the ACW (in addition to smaller, but what i consider to grade, collections for thw AWI and War of 1812). I’ve thought about a dionation to my alma mater in South Bend with conditions -perhaps tied to their William T. Sherman and family archives.

Set up a “scholarship” in which you award the entire library to a deserving young ACW scholar who can demonstrate (a) potential for putting the works to good use, (b) the financial need for such books, and (c) the ability to store the books appropriately.

Eric, It’s amazing how many people have the same problem. I have two grown children, four almost grown grandchildren, and soon to be 4 great grandchildren. My only hope is to have one of the “greats” grow up with a love of history and books. I have around 3600 books, mostly on Lincoln, the civil war, military history and American History.

I would have to agree with some of the other comments. I am a LBG Associate, also, so the guide room would be one of my suggestions, along with the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College.

Since you are from Pennsylvania, do you lean toward a certain area of the country?

Would a Presidential Library, such as Hayes’ at Spiegel Grove be a possibility with his civil war connection?

It was nice talking with you at Mansfield. Take care!

Eric,

Thanks for a very thought-provoking post. It’s not something I want to think about (for my library or yours), but the topic does merit some attention. Hopefully my 5 year old will get infected with the bug, had him at Brandy, Trevilion and Fredericksburg last summer. If he doesn’t, I can see a lot of merit in the CWT donation for auction idea. I doubt any of the CO libraries would have the space to house a large ACW collection.

There are some great ideas above. The LBG room would fit somewhat with your areas of expertise. I’ll try to stick with new ideas. The name escapes me, but what about the place in Harrisburg? The U.S. Cavalry Museum, the library at West Point or perhaps the one at Fort Leavenworth might be possibilities. It would seem to me Carlisle would have most of them, so their elimination of duplicates wouldn’t meet your intent for the collection. As much as it pains me to say it, West Point may be the best option, or a large university library.

Eric, I greatly enjoyed your recent PCN interview. I was clicking through and found it, was able to see most of it. I hope they air it again sometime and that I catch the whole program. Anyway, I too have a large collection. When I was doing my graduate studies a few years ago, the school did a survey asking how many ACW books I had in my library. I was amazed at the number, and I certainly haven’t slowed down on my acquisitions. I’m thinking of someday giving my collection to a friend who is head of a local college library, and he is also a reenactor and teaches (as I do) adult education courses on ACW topics. Note I said “someday” .. still pretty active myself!

Eric, Friends,
I think it is essential that each of your libraries be cataloged first. You do want to be sure that the rare books are appraised and then placed somewhere they can be preserved and used. The second thing is to work out your succession plan in advance. Don’t just leave it to a place and let them figure it out. Work with them well beforehand. Nick Fry’s suggestion is excellent; an endowment to maintain the collection would be a great help. I would suggest consulting librarians at different institutions and asking them for suggestions.

Eric,

might I suggest finding a small but dedicated Historical Society who will make your library a key and seperate part of their collection. Look around–there are many; But there are also many historical societies who are more interested in keeping themselves afloat than historical preservation, so on that front beware.

I am not sure if this will help, but may I suggest donating your book collection to the New York Public Library Reference Department? They have a large collection on the ACW and would probably welcome new additions and extra copies of books in their catalog.

No matter how hard you plan, your book collection some where in time will be broken up and scattered. All I can suggest is to get over your many guidelines, rules, attachments, etc. and face the hard cold reality of life.

The most important thing to me is my family. I would like to think that my large collection of books was sold off and the money went to take care of my family to keep them healthy.

When I am dead and gone what happens to my earthly belongings won’t matter to me one way or another. If you really love your family members let them profit from the sale your belongs so that they can make it through life. They might need the money to pay for care in their old age.

I think my family is much more important to take care of than someone scribbling notes in the margin of one of my old books in a library. They won’t know who Ed Porter was and they would care less if they knew. They would probably twirl their finger around and say big whoop, so what else is new.

Collections of books and other items go from one generation to another. We are the custodians of these items for just a little while and when we are dead and gone, another generation of Americans get to own and enjoy these items for a while.

Want to give God a good laugh, tell him what you have planned for your library. In this life we are in charge of nothing! God is in control of everything! When we get to big for our britches and think we control our future is when God can turn our whole world upside down. The loss of a job, sickness, disaster by fire or nature and you can loose everything over night. God gives to us and he sure can take it away real fast if we cut him out of the picture. A lot of Americans have experienced this fact during the last few years. Something to ponder isn’t it?

Enjoy what you have for a while, thank God for letting you be the custodian and remember that these things belong to Him as we sure can’t take it with us when we die.

Books are like manuer, you need to spread them around and allow people to read, learn, and grow to be all that they can be.

I realize that my opinion might not be very popular at the moment, but I try to face reality. Wanting something to happen and getting something to happen are two entirely different things. The lesson is yours to ponder.