The Richard C. Williams Memorial Library

The Pre-Columbian Society of Washington, D.C.

About the Library

Thanks to the generosity of various donors, particularly the late Richard C. Williams, the Pre-Columbian Society of Washington, D.C., is fortunate to possess an outstanding collection of books, journals, maps and other materials covering a broad spectrum of Pre-Columbian topics. A list of the library's current holdings, more than 875individual titles and various periodicals, may be accessed by clicking the -Library Holdings- buttton at the left.

Accessing the Library

Library holdings are accessible to all current members of the Pre-Columbian Society of Washington, D.C.either by pick-up/drop-off at Society monthly meetings or (by appointment) at the library itself (located in Silver Spring, Maryland). To request that a specific item (from the aforementioned list of library holdings) be delivered to you at a Society monthly meeting, please contact the Society Librarian, Christopher Calvert, by using the - Request a Library Item- button to the left.
To the extent feasible, requested items will be delivered at the next Society monthly meeting, with the expectation that the materials be returned at the following monthly meeting.
For Society members who wish to access the library in person, or who may wish to make use of its few non-circulating items, evening and weekend appointments may be arranged by selecting the -Make A Library Appointment- button to the left.

Making Donations to the Library

Bill Puppa, At-Large member of the Society's Executive Committee, has been designated Acquisitions Liaison, and all persons who would like to donate materials to the library should contact Bill directly (either by e-mail at bill@puppa.org, by telephone at 202-686-1165, or in person at Society meetings). While all materials relating to Pre-Columbian studies will be considered, and while all offers are greatly appreciated, as a general rule the Society, owing to space considerations, will be forced to decline offers of popular magazines (e.g., National Geographic, Archaeology, American Archaeologist) and other mass-produced items readily available elsewhere. Please note that Bill Puppa is the only person authorized to receive donations on behalf of the Society and that, although receipts will be provided acknowledging donations, the Society is unable to provide estimations of the value of donated materials. Also, all donations to the Society must be given unconditionally.

Who Was Richard C. Williams?

Richard C. Williams or “Dick,” as many of his family and friends called him, was born on April 9, 1923 in Nebraska. At an early age, his family moved to northern Idaho where he spent most of his youth. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After completing his Bachelors Degree in Library Sciences at the University of Washington, he moved to New York City. Richard joined the New Your Public Library System and ultimately became the Head Cataloger at the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street. Richard retired in 1981, after a 40 year career as a librarian. He was fascinated with the world of Pre-Columbian history, art and architecture. He made many trips to the major Mayan sites and attended many conferences like the Mesa Redonda de Palenque.

For 17 years, he was a contributor to the distinguished magazine, “Mexicon” – doing intrepid journal scouring in the quest of obscurely published articles related to Meso America. Gordon Whitaker, the editor of Mexicon writes, “Richard Williams gave a steady stream of information, always in impeccable form, which has greatly helped make Mexicon’s bibliographic section the leading source of entries on Meso America today.” For many years, Richard (1923 - 2003) attended the “Maya Week-ends” at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia every April and he attended the Symposiums of the Pre-Columbian Society of Washington D.C. every September. He had a special fondness for his Washington D.C. friends and colleagues. He would be deeply pleased to know that his personal library was given to the Pre-Columbian Society of Washington, D.C.

(The Pre-Columbian Society of Washington, D.C., expresses it deep gratitude to Mr. Robert Lone, both for providing this biography of Richard C. Williams and for working tirelessly to secure the transfer of Mr. Williams’ Pre-Columbian library from New York City to Washington, D.C.)