Edward-Dean Museum’s Rare Book Collection to Become Riverside County’s Newest Reference Library

From the Riverside County Economic Development Agency:

Cherry Valley, CA - On Tuesday, July 26, 2016, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed board action 3-17 that officially makes the rare book collection at the Edward-Dean Museum a new reference library within the Riverside County Library System (RCLS). The Edward-Dean Museum is located at 9401 Oak Glen Road in Cherry Valley CA. The Museum derives its name from the original owners and donors, Edward Eberle and Dean Stout. It was built is 1957 and gifted to the County of Riverside in 1964.

The Edward-Dean Museum is known for its comprehensive collection of European decorative arts. In addition, the Museum houses 2,700 books many from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. This book collection is a culturally rich enhancement to the existing 1.2 million RCLS collection with many books highlighting subjects like Science, Botanicals, Architecture, Landscape, Design, Art, History, Religion and Fashion. An impressive feature of the rare collection is a hand written account ledger from General George Washington during the Revolutionary War, dating back to June 1775 through 1783.

Due to the age and the delicate nature of the books, a reference library seemed like a perfect fit. Many of the books at the Edward-Dean Museum have beautiful leather bindings with golden edging and have to be handled with care. A Reference Library is a Library where the books can be viewed and read on site, but are not allowed to be checked out for general use.

The Edward-Dean Museum is celebrating this new partnership with RCLS by kicking off a brand new Exhibit, Once Upon a Time - A Tale of Children’s Literature. This Exhibit will take a look at the evolution of Children’s Literature through books and illustrations. The Once Upon a Time Exhibit runs from August 6 through October 29, 2016 at the Edward-Dean Museum.

The Riverside County Library System is a division of the Riverside County Economic Development Agency. For more information, please contact the Riverside County Library System at (951) 369-3003 or visit www.rivlib.net.

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