In April, we featured some eResources in the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) that have significant content about Michigan. Since then, an exciting new eResource, ReadMichigan, has been added to the MeL offerings. Developed by the Library of Michigan, this eResource has both fiction and non-fiction titles that include Michigan field guides, local histories of towns and cities across the state, and dozens of publications from Michigan State University Press and the University of Michigan Press.

Michigan Field Guide and Activity Collection

There are 15 curated collections available in ReadMichigan; however, the one that stands out at this time of year is certainly the Michigan Field Guide and Activity Collection. Titles that you’ll want to investigate right away:

• Best Tent Camping: Michigan by Matt Forster
• Butterflies of the Midwest Field Guide by Jaret C. Daniels
• Michigan Day Trips by Theme by Kathryn Houghton & Mike Link
• Petoskey Stone: Finding, Identifying, and Collecting Michigan’s Most Storied Fossil by Dan R. Lynch
• Wildflowers of Michigan Field Guide by Stan Tekiela

Michigan Notable Book Winners – Nature

Another collection to peek at this summer is the Michigan Notable Book Winners – Nature. All of these have been published right here in Michigan and highlight some of the species that have a substantial impact on our region:

• The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michigan: A Quaternary and Recent Faunal Adventure by J. Alan Holman
• The Great Lake Sturgeon by Nancy Auer
• Kirtland’s Warbler: A Story of a Bird’s Fight Against Extinction and the People Who Save It by William Rapai

Michigan Local Town Histories

With nearly 300 titles, one of my favorite collections in ReadMichigan is the Michigan Local Town Histories. What stands out about this curation is that it truly covers every single region of our great state, as well as providing interesting stories about specific historic events and places. Most of the titles are from the Images of America series:

• Blissfield by Bob Berenger
• Cruisin’ the Original Woodward Avenue by Woodward Heritage Team and Sharon Luckerman
• Farwell by Angela Kellogg and Nick Loomis
• Keweenaw County by Jo Urion
• Lenawee County and the Civil War by Ray Lennard
• Lost Coldwater by Randall Hazelbaker
• Michigan’s Drive-In Theaters by Harry Skrdla

The publications that I’ve shared are just tips of the iceberg. I encourage you to take time to explore all that is available from the ReadMichigan collection in MeL.

If you have any MeL eResources questions or issues, contact [email protected] for help.