OMM’s Library, Archives, and Artifacts
At the Oregon Military Museum, collections of artifacts, archives, and publications will soon be available for all to explore.
The Thomas E. Withycombe Library, built in 2020 within the Museum’s new location, houses both OMM’s library and archives collections. The Museum’s Archives encompass papers, photos and audiovisual collections covering over 150 years of Oregon’s military history through primary and secondary source materials.
Slated to open in tandem with the Museum’s grand opening in 2023, the Library will shelve select books for the visiting public to explore while others will be provided upon request. Museum staff continue to unpack OMM’s extensive library collection of over 35,000 publications in preparation for public engagement. These, along with OMM’s Archives collections, will be cataloged to best preserve them and make them accessible to the public.
Only a small percentage of the Museum’s Artifacts collection will be on display in the permanent and rotating galleries opening in 2023. However, opportunity to explore the histories, stories, and insights these artifacts offer will not stop there. While OMM looks to make its catalog of some 15,000 objects accessible to researchers and the general public in the future, OMM staff welcomes research inquires relating to artifacts along with archives and library materials.
As the Museum continues to prepare for its future grand opening to the public in 2023, OMM continues to develop and build its resources, striving to make the archives, artifacts, and library collections accessible in the coming years. The Museum’s long term goals for preserving its collections and making them accessible include online and in-person resources such as:
- Media Room: A controlled viewing room to engage with the Museum’s moving images, audiovisual, and slide collections.
- Learning Hub: A centralized space online to deep dive into subjects, stories, people, actions, and technologies covered in the collections
- Youth & School: Find field trip, camp, home school, and in-class curriculum and activities, along with youth-centric resources
- Share Space: A place for online and onsite visitors to share their stories for present and future generations
- Reference & Media Center: Onsite and online resources for research and use requests
For research and use services, contact OMM’s Director of Programs & Services at 971-355-2283 or submit an email below.