The Bentley Historical Library was established in 1935 by the University of Michigan Regents to carry out two functions: to serve as the official archives of the University and to document the history of the state of Michigan and the activities of its people, organizations and voluntary associations. Originally sharing space with the Clements Library and then moving to the basement of the Rackham
Building, library moved to its current building in 1972. The library is comprised of four divisions: the Michigan Historical Collections, the University Archives and Records Program, Digital Curation and Access and Reference Services. The library also manages the historic Detroit Observatory. Some seven decades after its founding, the library has amassed extensive holdings on the history of the state and the university, including more than 50,000 linear feet of archives and manuscripts, 90,000 printed volumes, 1.5 million photographs and other visual materials, over 10,000 maps and nearly 60 terabytes of digital content. The library's holdings are consulted by Michigan's citizens, the university's students, faculty, staff, alumni and administrators, scholars from across the nation and around the world, and others interested in the history of the state and the university.
