VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions VCCA Libaray

Over the years myself and I am sure many of our members have donated stuff to the VCCA Library. My question is what is the purpose of the library; is it for member use? or is it just used for G & D articles? Has there ever been a listing of what is in the Library? I have some duplicate sale information and other things I could donate but I don't want to dump it into a black hole never to be seen again.

To quote myself from the "restoration picture assistance" thread:

I would love to see the VCCA produce a thorough and accurate catalog of Chevrolets. Having the knowledge and wisdom that's being carried around in all your heads preserved in print form for the use of future Chevrolet historians and restorers, I think, is one of the best things the club can do to further its goal of restoring and preserving Chevrolets both now and in the future. At the very least, we should try to get copies of all our research, photos, G&D articles and notes compiled and organized in a safe, central (not necessarily geographically) location where club members can access and use it (a VCCA library). I think it can be done and I am willing to help in any way I can. I would be willing to collect and catalog the information (for a chunk of model years anyway - this will be a HUGE task) and take care of other grunt work that will be involved.

I'm new to the club and just generally green, so fogive my ignorance. Does the VCCA have a librarian or a historian? Does anybody keep photo books of the club meets? If not, we should elect a MEMBER (somebody who is interested in restoring Chevrolets and not just in making $ or whatever) to do those things...To keep records available for other members on request. Just a thought.

Warmest Regards,
Tyler

We have a Librarian Pat McGowen but I don't remember ever hearing or reading what the librarian does other than collect items. The only information I have seen other than the G&D are individual members web sites. This has been the best site for any of our clubs preservation information even if you would have hard copies of the G&D since they were first published. It is too bad the Tech. advisors aren't able to have space on the nation VCCA web site of their Technical data, If you loose a Tech. Advisor the knowledge is lost that have collected over their life time.

At previous Nat'l Meets, McGovern has brought "some" of the library and had the books, brochures, etc available for viewing/research/ etc. I don't know how much of the library he has brought in the past. Don't know if he brought 30% or 50% or whatever. He's brought so much that it does seem like he'd have needed a good sized rig to transport it.

Other than that, I frankly don't know how the 'library' is accessible. Maybe at his home or wherever the library is. I suppose "by appointment." Just conjecture on my part, I simply don't know.....

I do know, at least in my opinion, he has a big job in maintaining all of the info..... maintaining the library.

Bill.

42bill, you have made a common mistake.

What has been present at previous Anniversary Meets is NOT the VCCA Library. Rather, that is the private collection of Brad Schaeffer. Unfortunately, he will not be coming to Grand Junction, I understand.

The VCCA Library, while slowly growing, is far smaller.

The VCCA Librarian is Pat "McGowen" not "McGovern", and I believe that the VCCA library is kept at Fink Printing.

Chevy Guru,

Thanks for setting me and the record straight on that. I apologize for posting incorrrect info.

I've enjoyed perusing Mr.Brad Schaeffer's collection at past Nat'l meets. As I mentioned, it is quite a collection. Lots of info there. Sorry to hear he won't be in CO.

Yikes, and a typo on McGowen's name. Sorry about that also!!!

Presumably JYD is correct..... But, will someone confirm the VCCA library is at Jean and Dennis' ?? Skippy is usually more 'definite.' He seems to leave a little room for doubt this time. Not that I'm heading to the 'library' next week. Basically just wondering......

Bill.

I could be wrong and if so will someone please correct me. It is my understanding that the idea was brought forward at a VCCA Board Meeting to transfer the VCCA library to the AACA library. VCCA would still have ownership and full use of the material and have copies made at a nominal cost. We could write, e-mail, or phone the AACA library and have something looked up for us. I have visited the AACA library and looked items up for myself. I told them what year I was interested in and they would bring what they had to me.

If anyone has the details of this notion I would like to see it. I think it was a year or two ago.

42bill, JYD, and Back Roads -

Yes, the VCCA Library is (definitely) located upstairs at Dennis Fink Printing. I had the opportunity to view it last summer. Pat McGowen has done an outstanding job of organizing it all, for free. When the subject comes up, Jean always says the Library "fits in 2 file cabinet drawers." I would say it is a little bit bigger than that, not a lot.

Yes, there was a move at the Board meeting a year ago to transfer custody and curation of it ti AACA, which was defeated. Long story.

Additional details about the 2005 defeated proposal to transfer of the VCCA library to the AACA library.
The VCCA would maintian ownership. The materials would be catalogued and insured. VCCA members would have access to our material and all other Chevrolet materials. (normal AACA fees for copies etc would apply) There would be a small fee for maintaining the materials. They would be returned to the VCCA upon written notification.

Dave Cavagnaro

Where is the AACA library? I wonder if it is at there beautiful new Museum in Hershey? If the VCCA has a library that fits into 2 or 4 file cabinets, then the VCCA doesn't have much information at all. I have over 2 full drawers of original Chevrolet information for 1940 alone.

Has anyone ever recieved (or asked for) information from the VCCA library?

Toolman, the VCCA library fits into 2 file cabinet drawers, looks like you have more on 1 year then we do for all years; however I don't understand only 2 drawers, from the donations I have seen listed in the G&D it should be much more than that.

I thought also that the library had all of the past copies of the G&D, I would think just this would be more than 2 drawers????? Or does someone else claim ownership of the old G&D's instead of the VCCA?

IMHO, the AACA deal would be great for us....wonder what the reasons for voting it down were.

How hard would it be to make the Library available to everyone electronically. All you would have to do is scan everything.
"The old car manual project" is a wonderful example of what can be done electronically. The biggest thing would be the host server.

Last time I visited the VCCA library it did fit into two file drawers. There were two copies of each issue of the G&D also stored in the same room. Don't know if they are officially listed in the library inventory put together by Pat McGowen. It was completed and reported to the VCCA Board a couple of years ago. Since then donations have been received that were acknowledged in the G&D so I am sure the library is growing.

In the past couple of years several boxes of documents have been donated by Bill Denman who retired as a Chevrolet zone rep. My understanding is that they are primarily from the 60s, 70s and 80s. So the stock answer of "two file drawers" may not continue to be correct.

I know that in the past 30 some years I have donated at least 3-4 inches of file drawer space and I know of others that also have done that. What did they do put the stuff in a compactor? A Library in California doesn't do the rest of us much good if it is not accessible. I am sure the VCCA National web site for less than 50 cents per member added to National yearly dues would be able to pay for it if cost is the only reason for it not being done. The National Club site should be the best source for Chevrolet information.

I would like to quote from the AACA March / April issue of Antique Automobile Magazine.

"The National Corvette Restorer's Society (NCRS) has signed an agreement to house its archives at the AACA Library and Research Center"

Why not the VCCA? It would be available to all of us.

This should be part of the discussion about "VCCA The future".
However, I agree with BackRoads but I'd still have to drive about 600 miles to check something in it.
Why not just have a data list of Members who have this information and list it here and in the hard copy of the roster. (members only!) That way if anyone needs something for referance the owner can copy it and send it or scan it and send it by email.
If some of this material was donated by the families of deceased members then the librarian should be able to store it and do the same as I mentioned above.
Hey folks...it's 2006!

Or...We could all chip in and buy this.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4626016977

Hey RG,

I saw "it" a while back....

You might be right. After all it does say, it WAS a "....bookmobile for North Carolina public library....." in 1948.

Oh well.....

I suppose with a V-8, AT and A/C, the VCCA library could travel around in "style."

Bill.

If the VCCA library was housed in the AACA facility then there would be staff that could look up a reference and then send a copy to the member. There might be a cost but at least the library would be more readily available to members. The library materials would be stored in a facility designed for proper storage and insured. And IF the VCCA were to ever have its own library they could take back possession of the volumes. Seems like a no brainer to me but not to the BOD.

And the real kicker is that several VCCA members with extensive collections of literature do not plan to donate any of their collections to the VCCA. Several are planning to donate to the AACA instead. It is a situation that has been discussed by the BOD for at least 20 years with only lip service so far.

Chipper is correct,I have collected bow-tie literature for over 25 years and have considered donateing some of it to the VCCA but not under the present circumstance. My kids will probably sell it at a garage sale one of these days or it might show up on eBay. What a waste!!

DD

This thread just ties in with the other topics about the FUTURE of the VCCA.

I guess the MAIN question is?

Is the VCCA going to be the PREMIRE organization for the restoration of Chevrolets?

Don, I have exactly the same problem. I have a number of duplicate pieces of literature that I could easily donate. But I will not for two reasons. One is security. Items that I donated years ago are missing. They are not on the inventory put together by Pat nor were they there last time I personally looked several years ago. Associated is the potential loss from earthquake, fire, theft or ???

The other is that the items are not easily accessable by members.

Fleet,

IMHO, The real questions are leadership and commitment. Does the VCCA have the visionary leadership to guide us into the future? Do we have members who will support them? I submit that you will never get some of the BOD members to change their views. It will be necessary to change the BOD!!! Then we members need to step up and help them by donating our time and talent to make things happen. Being the premier Chevrolet organization is a noble goal which will be judged by others.

As a Board Member I felt and still feel that this is a no brainer if the purpose of the VCCA Library was designed for members reference. If you read the minutes of the 2005 Board Meeting printed in August G&D, page 12 item IX. There is an excerpt from a letter to the then President Dave Cavagnaro from the Librarian stating that the purpose was for other reasons and not access by the members.

The cost was cheap for us to have the AACA manage the collection, I beleive it was only $100 a month. (comes to 14 cents of each members dues a year) It was going to be stored in a controlled environment,insured, managed by a professional staff, and accessable. They were also allowing any member of the VCCA to have available all of the other contents that are in the AACA Library Chevrolet or not. Also our material will always be our material and would be returned if and when we elected to. Many single make clubs similar to ours have opted to use the AACA's service. I also would like to point out that there is a Past VCCA Board member who is on the BOD of the AACA Library who also sent a letter that he would personally oversee the tranfer.

Now here is the glitch, even if the Board decided that the purpose of the Library was for the members, and felt that the AACA was the place to store it. THE AACA WOULD NEED TO HAVE AN ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP DATA BASE TO SEE WHO IS AND IS NOT A VCCA MEMBER......
Have a Happy Holiday.
John Mahoney
National Board Member Atlantic Northeast