Project Description
This project attempts to document several notable libraries in the state of Michigan that are aimed primarily towards marginalized communities that need these libraries either for their resources, spaces for solace, or books that reflect their identities and experiences. We imagine our secondary users are those that live near or may pass by these libraries and centers, or want to learn more about communities they are not part of. Among these libraries, one will find their classic archival collections and traditional libraries, and will also find that these institutions also act as resource centers, safe spaces, educational centers, and even book clubs to engage and nourish their communities. While it is impossible to represent and do justice to each community in need of information and resources that exist in Michigan, we hope that each passerby finds at least one space that welcomes them and provides them with the materials they need. We are aware that even within the communities we included, there are voices missing there since these communities are not a monolith.
Our design is unique in that it is an archive of archives and libraries, and acts more as a resource than as an activist archive or process. The concepts we engaged most in this project was building an archive that puts marginalized institutions on a mainstream radar, advertised as equally as standard academic and public libraries and archives, showing the community that their experiences and identities are solidified in history and public records (Caswell, Cifor, Ramirez, 2013). We hope to restore power to various communities by reflecting a legitimate presence in our archive (Cotera, 2015).
Each page on our archive’s website is targeted towards a specific group, named in the title itself. While these libraries and archives exist for very specific communities, we hope our archive can also be a resource for anyone who wants to learn more about marginalized groups, their information practices, and needs. With this angle, we aim to build something not about communities, but with and for them (Wright & Laurent, 2021). This archive can now be part of many initiatives to not only restore power and agency in communities, but to aid in identity construction and representation (Yakel, 2003, Flinn, Stevens, and Shepherd, 2009).
Some of these records and institutions are ones that each author has either used, heard about, or interacted with in previous contexts. For the rest of them, we browsed through many libraries in the state of Michigan, researched each of their mission states or “About” pages, and evaluated whether or not they were libraries that exist in service of specific communities. We were excited to find some of them were already on campus, and we visited each one to both learn more about them and to take their pictures. The bottom-line criteria we established was that each library, center, or institution had to lend books for free to the public either physically or virtually; this is why we were able to add one book club to the list.
The map located in our landing page shows the 14 libraries and centers that we have made available to browse. Please note that some of our libraries are "mobile libraries" meaning their locations are not fixed, but their mailing addresses are. Further, we hope people make use of the finding aids and electronic guides that are associated with some of our items, as these aids are rich in information that may be of interest to our viewers. Photography sources and credentials are attached to our media as many of these photos are not our own.