Statewide Collaborative Program
Digitizing Michigan’s Hidden Past
The Making of Modern Michigan project is about empowering libraries, throughout the state, to contribute to a digital collection about the state's history. Western Michigan University Libraries is a Regional Center for training, equipment, and assistance to help west Michigan libraries in the program learn digitization techniques, understand copyright issues, and metadata standards.
The project is based on a grant proposal developed by the Action Team for Library Advancement Statewide (ATLAS) — an initiative from the Library of Michigan. Michigan State University Digitization Center is the administrative host and initial funding comes from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (2002 – 2004).
The goals of the project are to build local skills in digitization among staff of small and medium-sized libraries and to build a statewide digital collection on Michigan history.
The Making of Modern Michigan additional focuses include:
- Efforts to include post-1923 materials and copyright support assistance
- Collaboration with university press for on-demand printing
- Audio and video digitization
Incentive grants are provided to assist libraries with limited staff to participate and provide wider access to their unique materials on Michigan history. Materials include local history materials, one-of-a-kind photographs, cemetery records, unique documents and oral histories all about Michigan history.
Selections from the Ward Morgan Photography Collection from WMU Archives and Regional History Collections are part of this statewide collaborative program. It is a group of photographs depicting life, culture, and commerce in a typical Midwestern community through the mid-twentieth century.
Caroline Bartlett Crane Collection, Everyman’s House materials is another unique Michigan collection with a national interest that was digitized for this program. Materials for this national contest winning design from the 1920s are included.
The online digital collection created by The Making of Modern Michigan will benefit scholars, students learning about Michigan history, and free-choice learners of all ages. More information about the project is available in the grant proposal narrative. The completed database link is also available.