Donate Your Materials

Every year, hundreds of invaluable donations come to the Library. Bentley archivists work with donors to determine whether their materials align with the Library’s collecting mission, ensuring that these stories are responsibly preserved and accessible for generations to come.

To preserve these stories, the Bentley Historical Library maintains an active oral history program. We accept donations of oral history interviews and provide support and training for oral history projects to university classes and units, as well as community groups. We are also equipped to conduct oral history interviews. To learn more, email: BHL-oral-histories@umich.edu.

The Library hasn’t always been a place where everyone can see themselves. That’s why the Bentley Historical Library is doing the work of creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive library. Today, the Bentley strives to collect and provide access to archival records that more fully document the complex histories of the communities it serves. We also hope to engage more in those communities and act as a resource. The library recognizes its interdependence with those who have been historically excluded and who are under-documented in its collections.