Meet the Special Library-Appalachian Mountain Club Library
by Martha Moore, mmore@agmconnect.org

Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is America's oldest nonprofit conservation and recreation organization. Subsequent conservation organizations like the Sierra Club were based upon the AMC model. The AMC promotes the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers, and trails of the Appalachian region. The AMC has always believed that the mountains and rivers have an intrinsic worth and also provide recreational opportunity, spiritual renewal, and ecological and economic health for the region. The AMC continues to be a leader in research and advocacy of these precious natural resources. [See www.outdoors.org for more info].

The Appalachian Mountain Club Library was established shortly after the founding of the Club itself. It is the most extensive mountaineering library on the East Coast. Researchers from all over the United States and Canada conduct research using the Library’s collections, including several hundred rare books and photographs. In the last year AMC’s Library and Librarian have been acknowledged in four newly published books. 

The Library’s collection dates back to the late 1800s. Within it, you’ll find works covering the history of mountaineering, early climbing expeditions and explorations, natural science and conservation topics. The collection focuses primarily on the geography of the Appalachian Trail. It is quite a treasure trove of lantern slides (an early form of photographic negative), scrapbooks, botanical albums, and trail signs – even a silver tea set from the days when tea was served along with the lectures.

The Library also reflects the nature of the AMC organization itself. It holds archival records of the activities of the Club, AMC publications, photographs, and maps. Our members, AMC staff, and the public utilize the AMC Library. Reference questions range anywhere from “Can you tell me the first person to hike the Appalachian Trail?” to “Can you find photographs of Mt. Lafayette that shows the change in forestation over the last century?” Another possibility includes tracing the change in the role of women by reviewing club records. All of these information journeys would provide fascinating and fun questions for any librarian to answer.

Two years ago the “library catalog” was still present in the large wooden drawers over in the corner with beautifully hand written catalog cards. Today the catalog is in a database. Or to be more accurate, part of the catalog is in a database. The project to re-catalog all the library materials into a database was begun last year and there is still much to do. Many pieces of the collection are in need of conservation and preservation as well. Our hope is to get a grant that will enable us to continue this work and make the catalog available to the public via the AMC website. We are actively seeking interns and volunteers to assist with the cataloging.  We also hope to create a “Friends of the AMC Library” group to provide additional moral and financial support for these activities.

The AMC Library is located at 5 Joy Street, Boston, MA, 02108. It is open to members and the general public by appointment; by contacting the AMC Librarian at 617-523-0655 or email (amclibrary@outdoors.org) for more information or to schedule a visit. Currently, 2 librarians are involved with providing these services at the library: Martha Moore and Rebecca Fullerton.