Denver Mountaineering 101: What libraries have mountaineering resources?

July 26, 9:32 PMDenver Mountaineering ExaminerJilly Salva

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Marmot at 14,000 feet, Photo by Jilly Salva

Marmots and mountaineers have much in common. Not only do we both romp about on talus slopes, but we also are insatiably curious creatures.

For Denver mountaineers, we are spoiled rotten with all the free library resources at our fingertips. Yes, that’s right, something is free in this economy. Welcome back to the age of the library, when finally technology delivers on its promise to let us search its holdings from the privacy of our own home computer.

Metro Denver hosts municipal libraries in all counties including Arapahoe, Douglas and Denver counties.

Libraries are in vogue
Lets celebrate now that libraries are back in vogue. Point your browser to a library web site and type the word “mountaineering” into the search box. You’ll see hundreds or even thousands of entries. You might even see such titles as: Alpine climbing: techniques to take you higher, or The Outdoor Athlete

Up-level your mountaineering mojo
If you want to up-level your mountaineering mojo, then head on over to the American Alpine Club’s Library in Golden. Beth Heller, Preservation Librarian, told me, “The library houses the world’s largest collection of mountaineering books and mountain objects. It includes things like prints, drawings, 16mm film, gear, rare books dating back to the 1500s and unique artifacts, even a bearskin backpack.”

Do your mountaineering research online
Indeed after looking online, it is obvious there are resources galore. Their blog not only highlights current events, announcements and projects; it also clearly shows an organization that understands its audience is geographically dispersed. If people can’t easily drive by and visit the library in person, then the next best thing is to visit online via the blog or one of the many social media channels (Facebook, Flickr, LibraryThing, Twitter, YouTube).

Watch videos online
Checkout some of the interesting videos. My pick of the week is the video interview of Stacy Allison, the first American woman to summit Everest.

Why not check out your local library or the one-of-a-kind American Alpine Club Library? It’s a great way to save money, have fun and learn something new.