William G. Dick Research Library

The William G. Dick Research Library is available for use by the public. You do not have to pay museum admission to use the library.

The collection includes over 1,300 books, files, DVDs and media covering all aspects of the Columbia River Gorge area including history of Native Americans, pioneers, Oregon Trail, recent history, genealogy, natural history of plants & animals, the Columbia River, salmon, geology, use of the river, and local history of Wasco County as well as some information about neighboring counties.

Vertical file cabinets contain local history in the form of clipped newspaper articles, etc. and copies of reference materials.  The genealogical file cabinets have clippings sorted by family names for people in Wasco County and some families in the nearby area.

Some special topics in the collection are Oregon Trail, Lewis and Clark Expedition, history of railroads in Wasco County, genealogy files, Paleo-Indians, Wasco County history, and educational materials.

An assortment of education materials can be checked out by local school teachers in our region for use in their classrooms.  It includes resource books and guides for teachers and some children’s books.  Some lending restrictions may apply.

Visitors can use a computer and public access WiFi.

Photocopies are available for a small fee.

HOURS

Volunteers usually staff the Library Mon-Fri 11:00 am – 3:00 pm most weeks (the schedule is subject to change).

If you plan to do library research please request an appointment by email at: library@gorgediscovery.org, or by calling the library at 541-296-8600 ext. 219.

If the volunteers are not in, you can phone the admissions desk at 541-296-8600 x 201 and ask about their schedule or leave a message for library staff.