McCain Collection for Western Life
The McCain Collection was established in 1993 to augment Albertsons Library’s holdings on the Western United States. The collection was made possible through a generous endowment by Warren E. and Bernie McCain, supplemented by an additional one million dollar challenge grant, which was successfully matched by the contributions of hundreds of individual donors, including many on the library staff. The McCain Collection for Western Life contains books, journals, microforms, and other media, documenting the Western United States, especially its history, literature, anthropology, geography, politics, economics, and cultural life. Emphasis is placed on the West beyond the 100th meridian. Materials related to the frontier experience across the United States, as well as information on Native American tribes in all parts of the country, is also included. Warren McCain grew up in Payette, Idaho, went to work for the Albertsons, Inc., in 1959, and served as the firm’s chief executive officer from 1976 until 1991. Much of the McCain Collection is housed in the McCain Room on the second floor, though material purchased with McCain endowment funds can be found in all departments of the library. A distinctive bookplate identifies materials that are purchased with the McCain endowment.
Titles in the McCain collection are listed in the Library's catalog. Most McCain titles may be checked out; the primary exceptions being reference books, microforms, and books in Special Collections.
The Horatio Alger Association honored Warren McCain in 1991. Their profile of Mr. McCain can be found on their website.