Colberg, Nancy

Nancy Colberg, a librarian, author of Wallace Stegner: A Descriptive Bibliography (Confluence Press Inc., 1990) and retired owner of Willow Creek Books, a used and rare book store in Denver, Colorado, collected one of the country's largest collections of publications written by and about Wallace Stegner - writer of fiction, history and essays on the U.S. west including: history, literature, public policy and conservation. In 1982, Colberg met Stegner and, as she collected works by him, she realized a need for an in-depth descriptive bibliography. When Stegner learned of her project, he granted her access to his books and papers and gave her a corner desk in his study when she visited at his California home. He also wrote letters of introduction for her to libraries and other sources of materials for her research. Colberg eventually gathered 54 original letters and postcards from Stegner written to her, photocopies of 370 Stegner letters written to others, and about 600 books, journals and article offprints created by or written about Stegner. All of Colberg's collected monographs have been individually cataloged and are available in Special Collections. The journals, articles, correspondence and other miscellaneous materials by and about Wallace Stegner are included in this collection. A second and smaller private collection of monographs and journal articles belonging to the late Thomas H. Watkins, who intended on writing a biography of Stegner, has been incorporated into this collection.