Agua Caliente Cultural Museum Research Library

Holdings of the Research Library include a Cahuilla reference section, a periodical and newsletter collection, a news-clipping collection, a children’s materials section, and a general collection of materials on Native American topics. An online catalog of Library materials is available, where researchers can browse this ever-expanding collection of books, journals, and periodicals by author, title, or subject. "Museum collections focus on the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and other Cahuilla bands, and include artifacts from other Native Americans and indigenous peoples worldwide. The collections are available by appointment to researchers and students. A southern California basket collection of over 400 items features the works of Cahuilla basketweavers and those of neighboring tribes... Cahuilla ceramics include ollas, cooking pots, pendants, and pipes. Shell beads, bone tools, and numerous stone utensils such as manos, metates, mortars, and pestles used for food preparation are represented in the collections... The Tahquitz Canyon Archaeological Collection contains over 50,000 artifacts from the oldest and largest village site and is one of the most extensive excavation projects in California. The collection includes all field notes and photographs of the projects, as well as ethnographic and ethno historic reports. The Ruth Dunham Shepard Collection has extensive artifact material from the Coachella Valley with accompanying field notes. Additional archaeological materials from various locations are included." The Research Library does not maintain any genealogical materials. Online exhibitions and teaching materials also available.