Colorado Mountain History Collection - CD Plan

Colorado Mountain History Collection Development Plan

The Colorado Mountain History Collection (CMHC) is a non-circulating collection of documents, objects, and ephemera relating to the history of Lake County and surrounding areas to aid in research. The Lake County Public Library (LCPL), as holder of these items, regularly assesses the materials  to determine if they fit the guidelines of our collection. 

Materials CMHC will accept:
Photographs, Ephemera (Letters, Correspondence, Pamphlets, etc), Select High School Annuals, Oral Histories, Books Pertaining to local Colorado Mountain History, Business Ledgers, etc. We will keep a maximum of 2 additional items, beyond what is on the shelves, in storage if they are not easily replaced or easily found elsewhere.

Purchasing:
CMHC searches out books and items that relate to Lake County and the surrounding areas that are available  to purchase for the collection. Self published books will be looked at on a case by case basis. 

Considerations for the Acceptance of Donations:

1. The condition of the item. If the item is in disrepair (ie: falling apart, moldy, stained, in an obvious state of decay) we will not accept the item.

2. Relevance to Colorado Mountain History. We grade items based on their relevance to our area, a thru e:

a: Item is directly related to Leadville or Lake County.  

b: Item pertains to one of our surrounding counties, (ie: Park, Summit, Eagle, Pitkin, Gunnison, or Chaffee). 

c: Item relates to mining or mountain expansion in Colorado.

d: Item is Colorado related but not our specific region. This may not be admitted to the collection.

e: Item is completely unrelated to Colorado or the Colorado mountains. This would not be admitted into our collection.

3. Photocopies of ephemera, photographs, or documents will not be accepted for donation. 

Donations Procedure:
Items must be donated unconditionally and will not be returned.

1. An appointment must be made with one of LCPL’s Local History Coordinators to discuss donation items.

2. We will prioritize items based on our grading system, space, and type of care the item needs.

3. A Deed of Gift form must be filled out to transfer ownership of the items to LCPL.  

Digitization:
CMHC receives items such as photographs, ledgers, and newspaper clippings that we make a priority to digitize and make accessible through our website. This also helps to ensure the originals are well preserved and not overly handled.

Deaccessioning: 
When an item is found unfit or outdated according to our selection criteria and is in good condition, we try to find a more appropriate collection outside of CMHC. If the item is deteriorating or in poor condition and cannot be repaired, we will properly dispose of it. 

Items currently available on our website are: 

• Lake County Cemetery Records

• Lake County Census Indices

• Leadville City Directories (1879-1918)

• Leadville City Jail Records

• Marriage Indices

• Divorce & Probate Indices

• Digital Photo Collection

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed every 4 years. The next review is expected in 2028.