Help us preserve and celebrate Michigan’s rich musical heritage by supporting the MiMusic Experience campaign at the Library of Michigan. From Motown to modern indie, Michigan’s sounds have shaped the nation’s cultural landscape. Your donation will help collect, archive, and share the stories, recordings, and legacies of the artists who call Michigan home. Join us in ensuring that future generations can experience the music that defines our state. Connect with Library of Michigan staff by calling 517-335-1477 or emailing Librarian@Michigan.gov.
Donors can either drop off donations at the Library of Michigan during open hours or mail them to our facility. The mailing address to use is:
MiMusic Project
Library of Michigan
702 W. Kalamazoo St.
P.O. Box 30007
Lansing, MI 48909-7507
When mailing donations, be sure to ask US Postal Service staff about the availability of sending items via Media Mail. Please also fill out our online Gift Form when the items are mailed. Donors dropping off items at the Library of Michigan will also be asked to fill out a donation form.
Library of Michigan hours are Monday through Friday 10AM-5PM and Saturdays 10AM-4PM.
If neither options work, please indicate that to library staff to see if other arrangements can be made.
Please be as detailed as possible. Include a basic description describing the condition of the item, information on who produced it, and the year it was created. If possible, also include photos of the items in your email to the Library of Michigan.
Recording technology has changed and evolved since the latter half of the 19th century until the present day. See examples of that technology below and what can be donated as part of the MiMusic project.
These were wax or celluloid cylinders used with Thomas Edison’s phonograph. They were the first commercially available audio recordings, though they were soon overtaken by disc records.
Flat disc records made of shellac, played on gramophones, became the dominant format for recorded music. Each side held a few minutes of audio, requiring multiple discs for longer works.
Vinyl records offered better sound quality and longer play times than shellac. The LP (33⅓ RPM) and single (45 RPM) formats became music industry standards for decades.
Open reel magnetic tape offered high-quality sound and was popular among audiophiles and professionals. It was less common for casual home listeners due to cost and complexity.
An endless-loop cartridge format primarily used in cars, offering convenience but with limited audio fidelity. It was eventually replaced by the more compact cassette.
The cassette tape became wildly popular for its portability and recordability, making mixtapes and personal recording easy. Walkmans and boom boxes helped drive mass adoption.
Digital optical discs offered high-quality, skip-free audio with convenient track navigation. CDs became the dominant music format throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
The Library of Michigan is also looking for other formats and ephemera as part of the MiMusic campaign. See examples below.
All donors are asked to submit a donation form when gifting physical items to the Library of Michigan. This allows staff to inventory incoming donations prior to processing. Physical forms are available at the Library of Michigan's 2nd Floor Reference Desk. Donors may also use our online donation form, especially if they mail items to the Library of Michigan.
Do not submit form until after communicating first with Library of Michigan staff. Contact the Library of Michigan at Librarian@Michigan.gov or 517-335-1477.
