The Pacific Northwest Collection began in 1905 with a distributed leaflet by University Librarian Henry Canby Coffman requesting the donation of books, manuscripts, maps, pamphlets and other materials which illustrated the history and present condition of Washington State and the broader Pacific Northwest region.

The Pacific Northwest region was defined by past University Librarian, Charles W. Smith, as “that geographical area lying north of California and west of the Rocky mountains, including the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana, together with British Columbia, Alaska and the Yukon.”(1)

The Collection is substantially built on the generous material and monetary donations of people such as Edmond Meany, Manson Backus, Edward W. Allen, Robert Hitchman and many others.

Today, there are over 44,000 volumes in the Collection, and over 44,000 linear feet of archival materials.

(1) Charles W. Smith, Check-List of Books and Pamphlets Relating to the Pacific Northwest. (Olympia, Wash.: E. L. Boardman, Public Printer, 1909), 3.

The Pacific Northwest Collection contains printed and archival materials.

• Printed Materials - Materials such as books, maps, serials, brochures, and other printed matter.
• Archival Materials - One of a kind, unique materials such as personal and family papers or organizational and corporate records. Archives can include correspondence, diaries, literary manuscripts, oral histories, scrapbooks, photographs, audio recordings, and other unique matter.