Collecting and Connecting Michigan's Past, Present and Future
This site contains born-digital publications, digitized materials from the Library of Michigan's own collections, and content provided through partnerships and collaborations with Michigan libraries, cultural institutions, state and local governments, and individuals.. The content of this site is inspired by LM's mission and support's the Library's goal to preserve and tell the Michigan story.
By law, LM is the official repository for published and public Michigan state government information. LM actively collects, preserves and provides access to government information under the Michigan Documents Depository Program (MDDP).
To read about the Library of Michigan's long legacy of serving the people of the state of Michigan, see the links below.
Organization
The topics and collections on this site highlight common themes and aspects of life in Michigan. Some content-specific collections are designed to provide access to known research interests within state government and to Michigan researchers. Descriptions of the collections and links to popular titles appear on each collection page.
LMDigital uses topics, collections and subjects to provide users with a better browsing experience.
- TOPICS are broad overarching categories of information and include multiple collections of a narrower focus. Highways & Byways, which includes materials related to all forms of ground transportation in Michigan, is an example of a topic on this site.
- COLLECTIONS provide narrower divisions of information that can stand alone or be grouped under a more inclusive topic. The Michigan Administrative Law Collection is part of Governing Michigan, a topic that focuses on primary and secondary source materials published by all three branches of state government. Collections are also used to present materials contributed by LMDigital partners and collaborators such as the Historical Society of Greater Lansing's project, Pave the Way : the I-496 Project.
- SUBJECTS refer to terms or short phrases that we use to provide access to resources from all topics and collections that are related by an aspect of their content or by type of publication. These terms or phrases are linked on relevant Topics or Collections pages to group materials from across the site that have a shared element.
Future Development
The collections on this site are constantly growing and evolving. Users are encouraged to check LM Digital Collections often to keep up with new content and features. See our MI Digital Community page for exciting opportunities to collaborate with the Library of Michigan to enrich this site.
LM Digital Collections Logo - the Inspiration
LMDigital's logo is inspired by the Petoskey stone, Michigan's state fossil and long-treasured as a natural Michigan souvenir. Iconic to Michigan and found throughout the state from gravel pits to beaches, the Petoskey stone is the fossil of a once living Devonian Era coral from approximately 350 million years ago. This collectible and unique stone is a tangible record of early forces that shaped the state of Michigan, correlating to LMDigital's purpose in connecting Michigan's past, present and future.
