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Exploring AI’s Archival Impact
As AI changes archivists’ work, U-M is helping guide the future. This symposium co-sponsored by the Bentley Historical Library & the School of Information explores how AI impacts archival services.
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The Rhetorical Oracle from U-M
Gertrude Buck earned U-M’s first rhetoric Ph.D. The archives reveal how she used writing & teaching to break barriers for women, laying groundwork for today’s feminist rhetoric.
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Have you ever wanted to see behind-the-scenes in U-M`s archives? 👀
Join us for our next tour of the stacks to get an insider`s view of the amazing historical materials here at the Bentley Historical Library, on June 10, 2026 at 5:30 PM!
The Bentley is home to thousands of collections featuring history from both U-M and the state of Michigan. Our shelves hold early yearbooks, old maps of Ann Arbor, family papers, historical photos of Michigan Stadium, and so much more.
Our monthly behind-the-scenes tours are free, and open to all. We’d love to see you there!
Details and registration for our June tour can be found at this URL: https://myumi.ch/39jME
The two students you can see here come from an image in the Richard Hill Jr. Photo Collection in the archives, a wonderful resource that includes historical photos of early African American students living in Ann Arbor.
Anyone can request this collection for viewing in our reading room!
#AnnArbor #UMich #BehindTheScenes #Tour #Archives #AnnArborEvents
Meet Skyler Leslie, our newest staff member! 🎉
We’re excited to welcome Skyler (she/they) as the new Museum Events and Operations Coordinator at U-M’s Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory!
The Observatory is a historic U-M building and a division of the Bentley Historical Library that serves as a museum in Ann Arbor. Skyler will be working there to help share the history of U-M and the history of science with a wide audience!
Skyler brings a wonderful range of expertise from her previous position at Historic Fort Wayne in Detroit, including private and public program support. A lifelong Michigander, she has a Master’s of Science from U-M`s School of Environment and Sustainability (@um_seas), and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from U-M.
Skyler is enthusiastic about bringing her experience in public engagement to the Observatory, where she’ll be supporting programs and assisting with outreach!
In her spare time, Skyler is a printmaker, and likes to dabble in fiber arts. 🎨 She also loves to listen to live music, and enjoys spending time outdoors. She`s excited to be working so close to the Arb!
Welcome, Skyler! 🥳
#StaffFeature #Welcome #MichiganHistory #ScienceHistory
#OurStaffAreAwesome
We’re delighted to share that Katya, one of the wonderful student docents at U-M`s historic observatory, has recently defended her PhD thesis!
Katya will be earning a dual PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics, and Scientific Computing! When she’s not studying the formation of galaxies, Katya spends her time sharing astronomy history with visitors as a docent at the Frankel Detroit Observatory, the second-oldest U-M building in Ann Arbor.
"I have a blast being able to share my passion with the community, and also meeting visitors from all over the globe," Katya says.
"I am grateful that I get to call my coworkers not only colleagues, but also genuine friends. I get to work with some of the coolest people, and I have made lifelong friends at the Detroit Observatory that I hope will stay with me long after I leave Michigan."
She especially loves getting hands-on experience with historic telescopes, and sharing stories from history with visitors.
"I have always really enjoyed telling stories about science and the people behind it," Katya says. "The Detroit Observatory has a host of amazing historic instruments, tales of colorful past astronomers, and a long tradition of research that is really fun to talk about."
Outside of her work as a docent, Katya studies distant stars which she says act almost like “fossils” that let her study the past and present of the satellite galaxies that orbit the Milky Way.
“I like to call my work "extragalactic archaeology,”” Katya says.
After graduating she will be working at an observatory in Chile, studying astrophysics at a Stanford institute, and more, as a KASI-KIPAC Rubin Fellow of the American Astronomical Society!
Congratulations, Katya! 🥳
#UMich #MGoGrad #GoBlue #OurStudentsAreAwesome #DetroitObservatory #JudyAndStanleyFrankelDetroitObservatory
Happy Pride Month! 🌈 In honor of Pride, here are six collections from the archives that explore Michigan`s LGBTQ+ history!
Click through to discover records about the history of U-M`s Spectrum Center, LGBTQ+ community icon Ruth Ellis, who was once known as the oldest and proudest lesbian in Detroit, and more, from the archives at the Bentley Historical Library.
Interested in learning more? The Bentley is free to visit and open to all. Anyone is welcome here in our reading room!
Be sure to also check out the Spectrum Center`s interactive history timeline online for more LGBTQ+ history details!
#HappyPrideMonth #MichiganHistory #LGBTQHistory #Archives #HistoryMatters
