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SOU given American Indian book collection The addition will boost SOU's already substantial holdings to the level of a major research center By JOHN DARLING ASHLAND - A large collection of books on American Indians and Western Americana has been donated to Southern Oregon University by the estate of the late professor Douglas D. Martin, an author and teacher at Towson State University in Maryland. The 800 to 1,000 books, dating from 1887 to the present, add considerable depth to SOU's "already robust" collections in U.S. and Canadian tribes, said Mary Jane Cedarface, director of SOU Library's collection development. Martin, a longtime member of the Western History Association, amassed the collection for his lectures and in writing his "Guide to Western Native American History." "We're just thrilled about it," Cedarface said. "It's an extremely important collection and will give us one of the premier Native American libraries, competitive with major research centers and well able to support both SOU students and researchers who may want to come here." The collection will begin arriving in early December through the efforts of Martin's widow, Jane Martin, and his friend and colleague Joe Cox, chancellor of the Oregon University System and former SOU president. After being catalogued, most of the books will be put in circulation, but some will be placed in the university's special and rare collections department, where they can be checked out only for in-room use, said associate library director Teresa Montgomery. The collection, yet to be inventoried and appraised, has a minimum value of $10,000, Cedarface said. It includes books published by university presses known for American Indian studies, unique small press items, reprints and older U.S. and Canadian government publications The school recently enhanced its 24-credit Native American studies minor, making it a 36-credit Native American certification, the only such credential in Oregon. Martin, who died last year at 57, received his degrees at University of Washington and was known as an authority on American Indian-white relations. SOU last year was given a significant collection of American Indian books from professor Helen Redbird-Smith of Western Oregon University, an SOU graduate. SOU also has received collections in the areas of Shakespeare, Northwest poetry and the history of Southern Oregon. John Darling is a free-lance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.