our story

Our story

Located in the historical Equitable Building in Downtown Denver, the Denver Earth Resources Library has served as the central home for geologists and other subsurface professionals. The Library is governed by a Board of Directors since our founding as a nonprofit organization in 1986. The board has provided direction and oversight and continues to steer us towards an exciting future. The core of our mission is preservation of scientifically significant Earth science data from the Great Rockies.

History

The Denver Earth Resources Library was founded in 1986 and opened its doors in January 1987. As part of the Articles of Incorporation, the Library was intended to be a place to collect and preserve geological, geophysical and petroleum engineering data from the Rocky Mountain states. The original Directors included Walter Arbuckle, Robert Zinke, Dudley Bolyard, Tim Schowalter, Morris Miceli, Constance Dodge, and Donald Hembre. 

Kay Waller was the director of the Library from 1986 through her retirement in 2016. She carefully curated the ever growing collection of geologic data and laid the groundwork for the Library’s success. 

Amanda Kohn stepped in as Director in 2016 and has diligently worked to update the library to meet the growing demand in today’s digital age. 

 The materials found at the library include well logs, maps, proprietary studies, and historic datasets that are irreplaceable. Amanda and her team strive to curate a collection that is unique, irreproducible, and essential to the next generation of discoveries. 

For more than four decades the Denver Earth Resources Library has served as a central home for geologist and other industry professionals to gather to study the subsurface, exchange ideas, and build collaborations. DERL is ever evolving to meet the needs of today and is still a trusted hub where learning, discovery, and professional connection happen every day.