The IWGS Library is the result of many years of book collecting by IWGS Founding Member, Walter Pagels.  Since the earliest days of the Society’s existence, the library was managed by Pagels.  As part of his service, he provided copies of articles and sections of books to members of the IWGS, and to other interested parties.  He kept records and filed annual reports and expense accounts to the BOD.  The collection, which probably started as a collection of Pagels’, grew to include several hundred books, magazines, and periodicals, making it one of the largest accumulations of waterplant-related topics.  Walter had always collected books, and his collection provided the core of the IWGS collection.  He travelled the world finding books both old and new, and we are the beneficiaries of that collecting habit.

Currently, the library resides in Escondido, California, in the office of David Curtright, who is working on making the library available to the IWGS membership.  In spite of the practical difficulties of such a policy, the IWGS is doing what it can to make this valuable resource available to interested parties, either through direct lending or through providing excerpts, just as Walter did for so many years.