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Online Resources for Library Cardholders
The Library of Michigan supports digitization efforts throughout the state by offering resources to libraries. Resources include consulting, equipment access, funding opportunities, and more.
Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)
Michigan eLibrary (MeL) Information
Timely Topics and Booklists for State Employees
History of the Library of Michigan
Press releases courtesy of library staff and the Michigan Department of Education.
State Librarian/State Librarian's Excellence Award
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The Library of Michigan subscribes to a number of online databases that are accessible for Library of Michigan library cardholders. To apply for a card, go to our online application form.
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African American Biographical Database (Chadwyck-Healy)
The largest Electronic Collection of Biographical Information on African Americans, spanning 1790-1950. Includes photographs and illustrations, and covers the famous to the everyday person. Information ranges from biographical profiles to full-text sketches.
America's News - Historical and Current (Newsbank)
Collection of several Michigan newspapers subscribed to by the Library of Michigan through Newsbank, including current MLive publications.
Includes billions of records in census data, vital records, directories, photos, and more.*Only accessible onsite at the Library of Michigan. No longer available for remote access as of December 31, 2021.
Ann Arbor News Historical and Current Collection (Newsbank)
Dig deeper into the Ann Arbor News! Our new collection expands our access from 1923 to the current date.
Bay City Times Historical and Current (Newsbank)
Coverage of the Bay City Times from 1889 - present.
Black Life in America (NewsBank)
The experience and impact of African Americans as recorded by the news media, from 1704 through present day.
Black Thought and Culture (Alexander Street)
Black Thought and Culture A landmark digital library of approximately 100,000 pages of non-fiction writings by major American black leaders and public figures covering 250 years of history. In addition standard works, it also includes previously inaccessible material, including letters, speeches, political leaflets, interviews, trial transcripts, and the like.
Detroit Free Press Historical Newspaper, 1831-1999 (ProQuest)
168 years of news coverage
Detroit News Historical/Current (Newsbank)
Historical and current coverage of The Detroit News from 1873 - present.
Full-text access to newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press, providing researchers access to essential, often overlooked perspectives. The database now also contains Ethnic NewsWatch: A History, which provides historical coverage of Native American, African American, and Hispanic American periodicals from 1959-1989.
Access military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents, of the men and women who served.
The Globe and the Mail Historical Newspaper (ProQuest)
Digitized newspapers of Toronto, Canada that includes The Globe (1844-1936) and The Globe and Mail (1936-2017).
Grand Rapids Press Historical and Current Collection (Newsbank)
Enjoy greater access to the Grand Rapids Press! Our new collection extends from 1893 to the current date.
The premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth biographical and genealogical research from 1824 - today. Includes deep coverage from all 50 states, hard-to-find content from the mid 1900's, and original obituary images.
Kalamazoo Gazette Historical and Current (Newsbank)
Historical and current coverage of the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1837 - present.
Michigan Chronicle Historical Newspaper, 1939-2010 (ProQuest)
Primary source material essential to the study of American history and African American culture, history, politics, and the arts.
A popular history magazine with content useful to historians and genealogy researchers. Provided through the Michigan eLibrary.
Family history/genealogy resource including more than 6 billion historical records from the United States, Europe, Latin America, and other regions. Provided through the Michigan eLibrary.
Newspapers dating from 1759 to 1977, including communities around the country.
Newspapers.com World Edition by Ancestry
The largest online newspaper archive, covering 16,200+ newspapers from the 1700s–2000s, with millions of additional pages added every month.
Saginaw News Historical Archive, 1881-2018 (Newsbank)
Explore Saginaw history through local news, events and people with the Saginaw News. Collection covers from 1881-2018.
Sanborn Maps - Michigan, 1867-1970 (ProQuest)
Sanborn maps are large-scale plans of a city or town, drawn at a scale of 50 feet to an inch. They were created to assist fire insurance companies as they assessed the risk associated with insuring a particular property. The maps list street blocks and building numbers including numbers in use at the time the map was made and previous numbers. An essential tool for brownfield remediation work, as well as genealogy and historical research.
The Sault News (Newsbank)
Find issues of the Sault Ste. Marie News from 1888 - 1900 and The Sault News from 2001 - present.
A comprehensive collection of congressional documents from 1789 to the present, including the Congressional Globe, Congressional Record, Congressional Research Service reports, laws, bills and legislative histories.
A one-stop source for scholarly books in a variety of subject areas.
ProQuest Ebook Central - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Collection
More than 18,000 eBooks that address issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion spanning a wide range of disciplines.
Tap into literature on primary, secondary, and higher education, as well as special education, home schooling, adult education, and hundreds of related topics.
ProQuest Education Magazine Archive
This backfile of 26 major education magazines and trade publications offers insights into educational history, theory, and perspectives, reflecting more than a century of evolving trends, issues, values, and practice in areas such as teaching methods, policy / administration, and resources.
ProQuest Indian Claims Insight
Includes briefs, dockets, decisions and testimony in claims before the Indian Claims Commission and US Court of Claims, treaties, related congressional publications, and maps.
ProQuest Public Health Database
An ideal starting point for public health information and research, with coverage of a wide variety of disciplines ranging from social sciences and biological sciences to business.
Search subscription databases and request items through MeLCat, the statewide library catalog and borrowing service using your local, participating public library.
Library of Michigan Digital is a digital repository of unique and authoritative state and local government resources. There is no sign-in or registration required and all materials are full-text and can be downloaded or linked to at no charge.
Michigan Authors and Illustrators Database
Find out about Michigan authors of non-fiction, poetry, mysteries, romance, children’s books and much more. You can find authors for presentations and visits and identify books by Michigan authors for school or library collection development.
Michigan Legislative Biography Database
The Legislative Biography Database covers members of the Michigan state legislature from the first session following statehood in 1835 through the current session.
Enjoy this statewide eBook collection, 300 eBooks published by local university presses about Michigan and the Great Lakes region. Find Michigan Notable Book award winners as well as other important works published by Michigan presses and authors.
Updated: 8/29/2022