Scholars or members of the public wanting to learn more about the life and congressional career of Lane Evans can dig into a trove of documents at Western Illinois University.

University librarian and archivist Jeff Hancks says the collection is a "goldmine of information" about Evans and his 24 years in Congress. He says it's especially informative of his work on behalf of military veterans.

The former Democratic congressman and Marine died Wednesday at a nursing home in East Moline after a long fight with Parkinson's disease.

The Lane Evans Collection on the Macomb campus includes information about legislation he sponsored, campaign materials and correspondence with constituents in western Illinois. There are also documents from the committees he sat on.

The collection is open to the public by appointment.