Blog Post
Attention Genealogists and Historians: The 1940 Census Records are fully indexed!
by darla
Back in April we celebrated as the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) released the 1940 census records for the "Greatest Generation" to the public. Every ten years since 1790, the federal census has provided a snapshot of the American people. The 1940 census recorded that critical period in American history as the country was still recovering from the Great Depression and before its entry into World War II. After 5 months of intensive indexing, the census is now completely searchable on the two most popular genealogy websites, Ancestry.com and Familysearch.org. This includes ALL of the 48 states, as well as territorial censuses for Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Puerto Rico, and American Virgin Islands. Hooray! One important detail to keep in mind is these two websites were indexed by different groups of people, meaning the results may vary - if you don't find who you are looking for on one site, try the other!
To access the Ancestry Library Edition, visit our Research Database collection at any library location and select Ancestry Library Edition from the Genealogy category. Ancestry.com is currently offering free access to the 1940 Census records online, and Familysearch.org is always free to the public. Clueless about how to start your family tree? Check out some of the genealogy books in our collection.
Blog Post
Homework Help
by jaegerla
With a focus on the kindergarten to sixth grade age set, InfoTrac Kid’s Edition is an easy to use homework helper for youngsters. Students looking for information to include in an essay, presentation, or report have access to a variety of sources through this database. The main draw to InfoTrac Kid’s Edition is the constant access to online help in case users need assistance locating articles of interest. This is a must-see for kids new to database usage.
Access to this and any of our other reference databases and resources is available at every branch of the AADL, as well as from outside the library with a valid AADL library card. For access from an outside location, please sign in to your library account, visit our reference database page, and navigate to the desired resource. To access InfoTrac Kid’s Edition, go to the research page, and select InfoTrac Kid’s Edition from the Kids category.
Blog Post
Images from the Past: The Making of Ann Arbor
by annevm
Several years ago, when a patron needed an image of the old entrance to the U-M hospital, we suggested he look in The Making of Ann Arbor. Eureka! He found a colorful postcard image and printed it.
Other researchers in The Making of Ann Arbor website find similar success as they search or browse through several image collections and full-text of books. Nicknamed "MoAA," this website was created through a collaboration among AADL, the Bentley Historical Library, and the U-M Digital Library Production Services. You can use it for research or just to enjoy browsing through a collection of postcards, historic buildings, advertisements, and maps of early Ann Arbor.
Access to this and any of our other reference databases and resources is available at every branch of the AADL, as well as from outside the library with a valid AADL library card. For access from an outside location, please sign in to your library account, visit our reference database page, and navigate to the desired resource. To access The Making of Ann Arbor database, go to the research page and select The Making of Ann Arbor from the Ann Arbor category.
Blog Post
Learning Express Library
by pkooger
Study for the ACTs! Practice for the United States citizenship test! Job seekers, teach yourself important career building skills that help you land that job! Students of all ages, improve your math, reading, and writing skills through easy to follow lesson plans! All this and much, much more is available to you through Learning Express Library. Make it your first stop on your educational self-improvement path.
Access to this and any of our other reference databases and resources is available at every branch of the AADL, as well as from outside the library with a valid AADL library card. For access from an outside location, please sign in to your library account, visit our reference database page, and navigate to the desired resource. To access Learning Express Library, go to the Research page and select Test Prep from the subject listings.
Blog Post
University of Michigan Wolverine Great Bob Chappuis
by Debbie G.
One of the Wolverine's great football players died June 14 in Ann Arbor. A Wolverine MVP, Collier's All-American and member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Chappuis also served in WWII. Shot down over Italy, he spent three months hidden in plain sight from the Nazis.
Old News has gathered together a selection of articles from the Ann Arbor News that cover his career at Michigan. Chappuis joined the Wolverines in 1942, served in WWII from 1943 ~ 1945 and rejoined the Wolverines in 1946, setting records in offensive play. In the undefeated 1947 season, Chappuis finished second for the Heisman Trophy and was featured on the cover of Time Magazine. Michigan went on to win the Rose Bowl with such a decisive win over Southern California, 49 - 0, that AP put out a post-bowl game poll that moved them back in to first place over season-ending first place Notre Dame. We'll be adding stories about Chappuis to the Old News site so keep checking back to read more about one of Michigan's great players.
Blog Post
Gale Virtual Reference
by gargusa
This is an amazing eReference database aimed at a spectrum of users from students to researchers to professionals. Learners of all levels can access over more than 7,000 authoritative full-text articles. The research that is published in this database focuses on these very popular subject areas: Arts, Biography, Business, Education, Environment, General Reference, History, Law, Literature, Medicine, Multicultural Studies, World Studies, Religion, Science, and Social Science. This database was voted as a 2012 best database by Library Journal. Check out this database for your next research project you will love the abundance of knowledge it affords along with the simple and easy to use database interface.
Access to this and any of our other reference databases and resources is available at every branch of the AADL, as well as from outside the library with a valid AADL library card. For access from an outside location, please sign in to your library account, visit our reference database page, and navigate to the desired resource. To access Gail Virtual Reference, go to the Research page, and select Gail Virtual Reference from the Browse Database under subject heading Databases D-G.
Blog Post
General One File: 104,000,000 Articles And Counting
by jaegerla
General One File is a fantastic resource for anyone looking for research sources, articles to support an idea, or even information to satisfy curiosity on a topic. This database currently contains 104,410,479 articles published between 1980 and the present day (and the collection of articles is constantly growing). Here you can access full text articles and images on a wide range of topics, including business, computers, current events, economics, education, environmental issues, health care, hobbies, humanities, law, literature and art, politics, science, social science, sports, and technology.
Access to this and any of our other reference databases and resources is available at every branch of the AADL, as well as from outside the library with a valid AADL library card. For access from an outside location, please sign in to your library account, visit our reference database page, and navigate to the desired resource. To access General One File, go to the research page and select General One File from the Magazine Articles category.
Blog Post
High Schoolers: Infotrac Student Edition is for you!
by annevm
Working on a research paper? Check out Infotrac Student Edition for articles from magazines, newspapers, podcasts, and reference books. This database is great for current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports, and more. Historical images and maps are there, too. For cross-searching, this database is linked to others -- including eBooks -- to help you find the best sources.
Access to this database is available at every branch of the AADL, as well as from outside the library with a valid AADL library card, or since this is also a MeL database, a Michigan driver's license number can be used instead. For L-card holder access from an outside location, please sign in to your library account, visit our database page, and navigate to the desired resource. To access Infotrac Student Edition, go to the research page, and choose to Browse by Name H-M: and click on Infotrac Student Edition.
Michigan residents without a valid library card can gain access to this and the many other MeL databases by visiting MeL and entering your driver's license number.
Blog Post
A Fun, Brightly Colored Research Database!
by jaegerla
eLibrary Elementary is an extremely useful tool for kids doing research. Offered through ProQuest, this database offers a wide range of articles from magazines, books, and newspapers. Geared towards kids, this highly accessible research tool features a bright, user friendly interface with plenty of helpful hints for young researchers. eLibrary Elementary also provides pictures, maps, video, and audio as well as transcripts of TV and radio shows. While the eLibrary is built to appeal to the Kindergarten - 6th grade set, people of all ages may find this resource helpful.
Access to this and any of our other reference databases and resources is available at every branch of the AADL, as well as from outside the library with a valid AADL library card. For access from an outside location, please sign in to your library account, visit our reference database page, and navigate to the desired resource. To access eLibrary Elementary, go to the research page, and select eLibrary Elementary from the Kids category.
Blog Post
White Market
by jschaen
White Market, a locally owned market at 609 East William Street, has been in business for at least 84 years. While the exact date it opened is unknown, a newspaper article from 1984 indicates that it was "in business as early as 1928." In 1939, the shop was at the retail space next door, 607 E. William St.
