Fresno County Public Library to Receive Rare Book Collection Worth $26,000

Pauline Nordstrom never set out to build a rare book collection. She just loved California history and kept reading. Decades later, her grandson Fred McNairy has donated the fruits of that lifelong habit to the Fresno County Public Library: hundreds of books valued at approximately $26,210, including illustrated first editions and historic printings that span some of the most celebrated names in California literature and photography.

The catalogue reads like a syllabus in California culture. Among the highlights are an illustrated first edition of John Steinbeck's "The Red Pony," a first edition of Ansel Adams' "Yosemite Valley," 1912 printings of John Muir works, and several first editions by acclaimed author and journalist Frank Norris. Those titles represent only a fraction of what McNairy described as a collection that numbers in the hundreds, with a majority of titles focused on early California history.

"A voracious reader her whole life, she loved California history. So, she just collected books," McNairy said of his grandmother Nordstrom.

McNairy is the husband of former Fresno County Supervisor Judy Case McNairy. The Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to formally recognize him for the donation.

The books are headed for the Heritage Room at the library's Central Branch in downtown Fresno, though residents will need to wait before browsing the full collection in person. The Central Branch is currently closed for a major renovation. A library spokesperson thanked McNairy for the gift and noted that some items are already available for in-person research, while those considered "particularly rare" may ultimately be preserved for display rather than general handling.

The distinction matters for a collection of this kind. First editions by Steinbeck and Norris, along with century-old Muir printings, carry both monetary and historical value that requires careful stewardship. The appraisal placed the collection at $26,210, though questions about the methodology and the appraiser's identity remain unanswered pending additional reporting.

When the Central Branch renovation is complete and the Heritage Room reopens, Nordstrom's collection will take its place among the library's most significant holdings, a testament to what a single devoted reader can quietly accumulate over a lifetime.