After combing through Canadian country music icon Ian Tyson’s personal library, it was very clear he lived his persona.
Tyson bequeathed a plethora of personal items to the University of Lethbridge upon his death in 2022, which are now housed in the Ian Tyson Reading Area.
Associate University Librarian Nicole Eva discovered that fact and so much more about the ULethbridge honourary degree recipient. “It was quite remarkable as we were going through the books and the kinds of themes we identified. If you were to think of what types of books Tyson might be interested in, it was exactly what you would imagine — southern Alberta, ranching, rodeo, cowboys, horses, western art, cowboy art and folk music. If the kind of books you collect speak to your legacy, he was the real deal.”
Prior to going through Tyson’s collection, Eva notes she was familiar with a few of his songs. “I knew he was a great folk singer in the 60s with Ian and Sylvia, and I knew he had been a southern Alberta rancher.”
“I think it’s a really unique collection of the things clearly Ian was interested in. There’s books about southern Alberta – things like Pincher Creek and the Cypress Hills, small little niche areas you don’t always find a lot of collections on,” Eva adds.
Those books, and associated memorabilia, are now celebrated in the University Library, featuring a seating area, shelves of books from Tyson’s collection and a glass table display with an assortment of notes, letters, event tickets and assorted treasures.
“Many of the books have notes written in them or are inscribed by people who gave books to him, while others had ticket stubs or poems and hand-written notes stuffed in them,” Eva describes. “It’s a very personal collection and we wanted to find a way to display those items, so we had them inset in a glass table. The ticket stubs from Nashville to Denver and the cowboy poetry gathering every year in Elko, there’s a whole story and legacy there we want people to experience.”
Tyson produced many popular and critically-acclaimed folk songs reflecting rural culture in Alberta. He has been inducted into the Juno Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Western Music Association Hall of Fame, is a member of the Order of Canada, was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence and has received a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.
His choosing ULethbridge to safeguard his legacy through the display and use of his personal library speaks to the relationship the University cultivated with him over the years.
“To be part of Tyson’s planned giving decision is very gratifying for the University because it highlights the shared values we enjoyed, the personal relationship we developed and the trust he had in us utilizing his library in a way that kept not only his legacy alive, but that of the culture he cherished,” adds Erika Scott, director of Philanthropy and Information Services.
Eva says the library kept just over 300 titles with 260 displayed and another 50 placed in special collections due to their value.
While the library does not often encourage or accept donations, Tyson’s library fit within the scope and mandate of their southern Alberta focus.
“Once we started to go through the collection, we found a number of really niche books you would have a hard time finding anywhere else that explored southern Alberta themes, so this just seemed like a natural home for them,” she says. “There are a number of items that could be used for research purposes. But also, I’m really hoping the public finds out about this, because I think they’d find it very interesting.”
Anyone can come and browse the collection and if you have a U of L library card or TAL card you can borrow select items.
“I think there will be community interest, as much as University interest. He’s legendary around these parts. I’m glad the word’s getting out there we were able to keep some of his items here, and we want people to know about it and be able to share it with people.”
