Browsing the William L. Clements Library’s Collections
Finding what you are looking for can seem daunting in the robust, world-class collection of the William L. Clements Library. Students, professors, and professional researchers reach out to our staff every day for help locating items on specific topics. This blog post briefly describes some methods for searching our collection and some resources that may help.
New Manuscripts Finding Aids, March 2026
This past month, 19 new manuscript finding aids were made available online. Seven of those were written by our wonderful student interns! These collections offer glimpses into the everyday lives of a farmer and a sheriff, reflections on experiences as a prisoner of war, business records, and more.
Poems Around the Civil War Pt II: War Picnic
Guest blog post by Wendy Chapin Ford ’77. Wendy was a panelist on Bookworm #25 where she discussed her book of poetry A Frontier Romance: Tiger Bill and Kate. Genealogical research led her to be inspired by her great-grandparents’ story. Now as she continues to delve into her family history, she has written new poetry based on her relatives’ experiences during the Civil War. In a three part series, she shares these poems, and the Clements provides illustrations. This is part two of the series,...
A Day in the Life at The Clements Library: Ella Brooks-Kamper
Welcome to “A Day in the Life at The Clements Library!” On the third edition of this series, we will meet with Ella Brooks-Kamper, a student at the University of Michigan School of Information. Ella is the Historic Visual Culture Fellow. That’s right Wolverines, you can work here too!
Donor Stories: Mary Koslovsky
The work of the Clements Library is predicated on generous donations, both big and small. These contributions sustain the Clements’ mission, strengthen our collections, and connect students and researchers alike to the past. They also support and create scholarly opportunities through our fellowship program. Development Outreach Assistant Samantha Huck spoke with Mary Koslovsky, who established the Alfred A. Cave Fellowship in honor of her late husband Dr. Alfred A. Cave. Sam and Mary...
Poems Around the Civil War Pt I: Centre College
Guest blog post by Wendy Chapin Ford ’77. In a three part series, she shares poetry based on her relatives’ experiences during the Civil War and the Clements provides illustrations.
Black History in the Clements Digital Collections
The Clements Library’s digitization efforts help make our collections available for research anywhere you have an internet connection. If you’re looking to honor Black History Month with a deep dive into the archives that reflect this rich past, let us draw your attention to several online options.
A Day in the Life at The Clements Library: Emma Schneider
Welcome to “A Day in the Life at The Clements Library!” On the second edition of this series, we meet with Emma Schneider, an Information Resources Assistant.
New Manuscripts Finding Aids, February 2026
The Manuscripts Division has made a dozen collections available for research this past month, including a pocket diary kept during Cornelius D. Bowers’ service in the 84th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment and a manuscript journal penned by a currently unidentified supercargo while aboard two smuggling expeditions between August 1808 and March 1809.
Mapping Michigan
On this day in history, in 1837, Michigan was admitted as the 26th state. A map of Michigan is easily at hand for most people, whether it is on the phone in their pocket or demonstrated by simply holding up their hand! It wasn’t always that simple. The shape of the state took centuries to be fully realized on a map. Read on to learn more about three early maps of Michigan, dating from 1744-1836.Bellin 1744 Carte des Lacs du Canada (in Charlevoix) 1 map : col. ; 28.9 x 44.7 cm. Jacques-Nicolas...