Primary Sources

The Bentley Historical Library collects materials for the State of Michigan and the University of Michigan. The Bentley’s 11,000 research collections range from the papers of governors of Michigan, to the records of student and faculty life at the University, to the entire historical record of intercollegiate athletics at Michigan, and much more.

The Clements Library houses original resources for the study of American history and culture from the fifteenth through the nineteenth century.

A collection documenting the history of social protest movements and marginalized political communities from the 19th century to the present.

The Clark Library combines UM's map collection, government information center, and spatial and numeric data services.

The Clark Library Map Collection holds materials from all parts of the world, with a growing focus on urban cartography. The collection consists of over 370,000 maps and about 10,000 atlases and reference works. Online databases, catalogues and other digital resources supplement the print collections.

Holdings consist of approximately 300,000 volumes and more than 8,000 linear feet of archival and manuscript material. Notable collections and subject strengths include the papers of distinguished authors, poets, and filmmakers; medieval and Renaissance manuscripts; early printed books (including more than 350 incunables); European military history; American culinary history; anarchism, radicalism, and social protest; children’s literature; Philippine history; the early histories of astronomy, mathematics, and medicine; and transportation history.