The Bentley Historical Library will be closed on Friday, July 3, 2026 and Saturday, July 4, 2026 in observance of Independence Day.

 

Bentley Historical Library

Spring 2026

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  • A small striped kitten, lounging on a small table.

    Fur, Feathers, and Photos

    Take a “paws” to check out these images of furry and feathered friends in collections across the archives at the Bentley Historical Library.

    … Complete Story
  • Sketch of the Northfield bank raid.

    The Shootout and the Fallout

    Two U-M medical students saw Jesse James’ gang attempt a bank robbery in 1876. A historical letter alleges that two outlaws’ bodies ended up in Ann Arbor.

    … Complete Story
  • Archivist Liz Gadelha in the Digitization Lab.

    Scanning the Page

    Meet Liz Gadelha, who makes sure that tens of thousands of digital copies of letters, maps, photos, and more, make their way to researchers who need them.

    … Complete Story
  • Ypsilanti Interurban Car pictured with the car driver in the front.

    Staying On Track

    How electric trolleys paved the way for interurban travel between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, and beyond, until the popular mode of travel was eventually derailed.

    … Complete Story
  • U-M student Phyllis Wheatley Waters.

    Basketball Breakthrough

    Archived photos help tell the story of Phyllis Wheatley Waters, the first Black student to play basketball at U-M and earn a letter from the Women’s Athletic Association.

    … Complete Story
  • Researcher Brad Hammond at a Center for Japanese Studies event called “Remembering the University of Michigan’s Wartime Japanese American Workers.”

    Michigan’s Wartime Japanese

    A new database lists the Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II, then recruited to U-M to work. One researcher explores U-M’s role and the legacy of this labor.

    … Complete Story
  • Alexis Antracoli, Director of the Bentley Historical Library, standing in the stacks at the historical library.

    Presidential Preservation

    Director Alexis Antracoli shines a spotlight on the papers of University of Michigan presidents who have shaped the institution and beyond, preserved at the Bentley Historical Library.

    … Complete Story