Josephy Library - Gift Policy
The Josephy Library reflects the character of a man who had a passion for the West and a desire to understand its history and the cultures of its first people, American Indians. His own research and books began with the story of the Nez Perce. It was the Nez Perce who brought him to Oregon and to the purchase of a small ranch near Joseph. He and his wife Betty spent summers there for over 40 years.
Alvin donated a large portion of his personal library to Fishtrap, a non-profit literary organization he helped found in 1988. His dream was to inspire writers—poets, novelists, journalists, and historians—the way he had been inspired, one book, one elder, one story leading to another and another. He loved the poems, stories, and songs that grew from Western soil as much as the hard history that he is remembered for.
Alvin was working full-time at Time Magazine and then American Heritage as he wrote Patriot Chiefs, The Nez Perce and the Opening of the Northwest, The Indian Heritage of America, Red Power, and others, and often purchased books and monographs for his own research when he could not get circulated library copies. Although there are few truly rare books in the donated collection, it does form the foundation for a unique reflection of Northwest history and literature.
In addition to the Josephy Collection, the Library begins with about 1000 volumes of work by writers who have read and taught at Fishtrap since 1988, and to other books and a few manuscripts—many related to Western themes explored in Fishtrap Gatherings and others by workshop participants and Fishtrap friends.
The library welcomes gifts, bequests, and endowments and relies upon donors to help sustain its growth while maintaining the focus on the Western history and culture. It aims to be comprehensive on the Inland Northwest, and to work out from its Wallowa County home across the West, covering major issues and writers and other material basic to understanding the Inland Northwest core.
Due to the expense of managing the gift process and the need to make an effective use of limited space, gifts can only be accepted that will specifically enhance the existing collection. If gifts are accepted it should be understood that, upon receipt the Josephy Library becomes the owner of the material and, as such, reserves the right to determine its retention, location, maintenance, or removal. The Library cannot maintain separately named or shelved collections, nor impose restrictions on use.
Gifts will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Ability to add depth or breadth to the existing collections
Relevance of content
Physical condition
Types of Donations Desired
The subject areas that could be supported by donations are:
Wallowa County History
Inland Northwest History
Nez Perce and related Indian tribes—history and culture
Geography, archeology, paleontology related to Inland Northwest Correspondence, manuscripts, ledgers, memorabilia, logbooks, photographs, diaries, maps, and other primary documents that enrich the current collection are desired donations. Original documents are preferred.
Short stories, novels and other works by local authors are also desired, as are works that are autographed by the author, illustrator, or notable person.
Financial contributions would be used to help enrich the collection, purchase preservation, and repair materials, hire assistants to help with cataloging the collection, and for hardware and materials used in cataloging.
Appraisal
We encourage donors to consider obtaining an appraisal of their gifts for income tax purposes. These appraisals are the responsibility of the donor because the Internal Revenue Service considers the Library to be an interested party, which therefore precludes appraisals financed or made by the Josephy Library.
Copyright
It is our goal to provide access to this collection and we would like to digitize some original source materials. Therefore, whenever possible a donor who holds the copyright to original materials should assign nonexclusive rights to the Josephy Library.
Acknowledgement
The Josephy Library will gift plate donated materials using standard gift plates bearing the donor’s name. The Library will acknowledge all gifts it receives by sending the donor a receipt that details the items, but not their financial value.
Donations
To make a donation to the Library, or for further information, contact:
Rich Wandschneider
Josephy Library
Fishtrap, Inc.
PO Box 38
Enterprise, Oregon 97828
541-426-3623