Interest: Genealogy & Local History
Interest: Genealogy & Local History
Ypsi Stories Episode 29: Café Ollie – Morning Punks and Third Place Coziness
Published: February 9, 2026
Episode 29 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 28: The Native American Great Lakes and the Conquest of Michigan
Published: September 30, 2025
Episode 28 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 27: From Here to There by Land and Water Part II – Railroads for Ypsilanti
Published: July 8, 2025
Episode 27 of Ypsi Stories.
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Michigan Memories
Allows users to search the online collections of cultural memory institutions all around Michigan.
Ypsi Stories Episode 26: Ypsi Experimental Space and the Ineffable Spirit of Community Creativity
Published: December 5, 2024
Episode 26 of Ypsi Stories.
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“Through Darkness to Light” exhibit on display Sept. 1 – Oct. 20
Published: August 29, 2024
From September 1-October 20, an exhibit featuring photography related to the Underground Railroad will be on display at YDL-Whittaker.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 25: The Parkridge Community Center and the Fight for Racial Equality
Published: August 28, 2024
Episode 25 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 24: Undertaking the Subject of Death in 19th Century Ypsilanti
Published: June 7, 2024
Episode 24 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 23: The Ypsi Farmers & Gardeners Oral History Project
Published: May 6, 2024
Episode 23 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 22: President Roosevelt visits the Willow Run Bomber Plant
Published: March 7, 2024
Episode 22 of Ypsi Stories.
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Growing the YDL Oral History Collections
Published: December 15, 2023
Passionate and influential local food growers are recording their stories in the Ypsilanti District Library’s oral history archives.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 21: On the State of Medicine in 19th Century Ypsilanti
Published: October 20, 2023
Episode 21 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 20: Fighting for LGBTQ Rights in Ypsilanti: A Double Retrospective
Published: July 26, 2023
Episode 20 of Ypsi Stories.
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YDL will host a screening of Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale in July
Published: June 16, 2023
YDL is glad to announce that we’ll be hosting a screening of Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale. On Saturday, July 8 at 2pm, visit the Superior branch to watch this incredible documentary narrated by Martha Reeves.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 19: Shadow Art Fair – Ypsilanti’s Interactive Art Experience
Published: May 19, 2023
Episode 19 of Ypsi Stories.
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Jean Winborn to be featured on “Finding Your Roots – Family Sagas of Pride and Perseverance”
Published: March 17, 2023
Join Detroit Public TV and PBS Books Wednesday, March 22, at 8 p.m. ET, for a fascinating look at new techniques for unravelling the mysteries of African American genealogy, including a conversation with YDL’s very own Jean Winborn!
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Sign up for a One-on-One Genealogy Session with Jean Winborn
Published: January 17, 2023
Sign up for a one-on-one genealogy session with Jean Winborn, co-founder of Washtenaw County African-American Genealogy Society. These sessions will take place on February 1, 8, 16, and 22. Please only sign up for 1 session, as spots are limited. Search for information about your African American ancestors or learn more about the human side of America’s slaveholding past. Look at various records, as well as migration patterns and laws specific to race. Session 1 (Feb. 1) Session 2 (Feb. 8) Session 3 (Feb. 16) Session 4 (Feb. 22)
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Michigan Avenue Branch Turns 60!
Published: December 9, 2022
The library in Ypsilanti was founded over 150 years ago. For nearly half that time, the Michigan Avenue building has been part of its fabric.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 18: More Buses for Ypsilanti
Published: December 5, 2022
Episode 18 of Ypsi Stories.
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Explore the A.P. Marshall African American History Archive
Published: July 15, 2022
Have you checked out the A.P. Marshall African American Oral History Archive?
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1950 U.S. Census records now available
Published: April 7, 2022
Genealogists rejoice! On April 1, the United States National Archives released the 1950 Census records, 72 years after it was conducted, as required by U.S. law. The following website has been set up with access to all the records, plus additional resources: https://1950census.archives.gov/ For those looking for a bit more assistance with navigating the new records, the National Archives has a series of presentations through May. The videos and slides are also available after the presentation date to refer back to. Find all the information here.
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Online Access to the Veterans History Project
Published: February 8, 2022
The Veterans History Project, part of the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center, collects oral histories of American veterans, including those from Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County. Now, thanks to Eastern Michigan University, the Washtenaw County veteran interviews have been digitized and collected in an online archive. The digital archive contains interviews with veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the homefront, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Check out the archive here!
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Ypsi Stories Episode 16: Red Lines and Racial Covenants: A Brief History of Housing Segregation in Ypsilanti and Beyond
Published: February 2, 2022
Episode 16 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 15: Tracing your Ancestral Path with the Washtenaw County African American Genealogy Society
Published: January 19, 2022
Episode 15 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 14: Kiwanis Club of Ypsilanti’s 100 years
Published: December 2, 2021
Episode 14 of Ypsi Stories.
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One Year of Ypsi Stories
Published: November 24, 2021
It has officially been one year since the first episode of the Ypsi Stories podcast.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 13: Milling Around the River – Industrialisation Comes to Ypsilanti
Published: November 5, 2021
Episode 13 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 12: Highland Cemetery – Place of Peace & Rest
Published: October 28, 2021
Episode 12 of Ypsi Stories.
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Digital Michigan Newspaper Portal
A list of over 1,000 digitally-accessible newspaper collections across Michigan.
Ypsi Stories Episode 11: The Union Comes to Town – A Labor History of Willow Run
Published: September 1, 2021
Episode 11 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 10: From Here To There By Land And Water
Published: August 4, 2021
Episode 10 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 7: Ypsilanti’s Water Street Sculpture Garden
Published: May 5, 2021
Episode 7 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 6: The Information Age before the Information Age
Published: April 6, 2021
Episode 6 of Ypsi Stories.
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Ypsi Stories Episode 5: Ypsilanti’s Palm Leaf Club
Published: March 3, 2021
Episode 5 of Ypsi Stories.
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Scrapbook storytelling : save family stories and memories with photos, journaling and your own creativity
A guide to scrapbooking and journaling collects tips and techniques for preserving memories, photographs, and family stories.
Restoration and photographic copying; the techniques of copying and restoring old and damaged photographs.
Learn about the conservation and restoration of old photographs.
Preserving Your Family Photographs
Taylor outlines in straightforward steps how to save your family photographs by using the methods that conservators and photo curators use everyday. You’ll learn how to Identify the types of damage already done to the photos in your collection, take care of all your photos so that damage is a thing of the past, select a conservator to repair damaged photos and preserve your digital images.
New ideas for crafting heritage albums
This book showcases the many new archival products that have been developed and illuminates new trends in scrapbooking. Readers will also discover new ideas for preserving and presenting more family heirlooms and relics than ever before, including: cassette and video tapes, using a scanner to restore faded or damaged photographic images, and an entire chapter on saving family recipes.
How to archive family photos : a step-by-step guide to organize and share your photos digitally
A practical how-to guide for organizing your growing digital photo collection, digitizing and preserving heirloom family photos, and sharing your treasured photos. In this book, you’ll find: Simple strategies to get your photos out of a smartphone or camera and into a safe storage space; Easy methods to organize and back up your digital photos, including file-naming and tagging hints; Achievable steps to digitize and preserve heirloom family photos.
Memory gifts : preserving your treasured past in special ways
Scrapbooks may be the most obvious way to corral treasured photographs, but many other items also lend themselves to memory crafting. In Memory Gifts: Preserving Your Treasured Past in Special Ways, Marie Browning offers an assortment of ideas for utilizing photos in home accessories and a few wearables.
An ounce of preservation : a guide to the care of papers and photographs
This book is a comprehensive guide to the environmental conditions that damage documents and photographs, and the appropriate preventative measures. There are also instructions to clean and repair items, locating and working with a conservator and arrange document and photograph collections.
Preservation Week 2021
Preservation Week 2021 The American Library Association established Preservation Week to connect communities through events, activities, and resources that highlight what we can do to preserve personal and shared collections. April 25-May 1 focuses on the ways to explore the many facets of preservation through YDL, in the community, and in the wider world. Saving Your Stuff gives tips to help you start preserving all sorts of items from film to LP records to paper. Ask Donia, a preservation specialist, your preservation questions! Preservation for Families offers ideas to get the whole family involved. Using Oral History to Tell Your …
NEH For All the World to See Virtual Tour
Published: December 22, 2020
The virtual tour and accompanying activities for the NEH For All the World to See exhibit are ready to explore!
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Ypsi Stories
Join us quarterly to hear Ypsilanti History in story form!
Ypsi Stories Episode 1: Lucius Lyon and the Land Speculators
Published: November 4, 2020
Hear Chapter 1 of Look Both Ways!
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Michigan History Magazine
Published by the Historical Society of Michigan, Michigan History offers readers an inspiring array of articles about Michigan’s diverse history.
Family Read Ypsi History Geocache Scavenger Hunt
Published: October 8, 2019
Ready to go on an adventure? Get a chance to explore historical Ypsilanti on the Family Read scavenger hunt! Collect all 6 tokens to win a special prize.
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Remembering Medal of Honor Recipient Charles Kettles
Published: February 8, 2019
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Charles Kettles was an Army veteran from Ypsilanti who passed away on January 21, 2019 at the age of 89. Mr. Kettles was a helicopter pilot in the Army during the Vietnam War. In 1967, he led a series of daring rescue missions in his helicopter after American troops were ambushed in South Vietnam. He ultimately saved the lives of over 40 people. For these heroic acts, Mr. Kettles was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2016. In 2006, Mr. Kettles recorded an oral history interview with Bill Vollano as part of the Veterans History Project through …
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MyHeritage: Library Edition
One of the largest genealogy databases of its kind, with over 6 billion historical records from the U.S. and around the world.
Ypsilanti Commercial Vital Records
Search vital records–births, deaths, and marriages–from The Ypsilanti Commercial newspaper, which was published from 1865-1900.
Start exploring your ancestry
Published: February 7, 2018
Researching your family tree can seem daunting…where do you even start? Here are some online resources to help you navigate the world of genealogy. Ancestry: This is one of the most popular and well-known genealogical research sites. It features census, vital, military, and immigration records. Ancestry.com requires a paid subscription. The library offers access to Ancestry.com on library computers only (not accessible from home). Cyndi’s List: Here is a popular online genealogy index which features over 270,000 links, categorized and cross-referenced. This particular link takes you to it’s Beginners page so you can learn the ins and outs of genealogical …
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An invaluable resource: the Ypsilanti Historical Society
Published: February 6, 2018
Ypsilanti, Michigan is a city full of history. If you are looking to learn about that history, the Ypsilanti Historical Society is a wonderful source of information. Located in an historic house at 220 North Huron Street, the Ypsilanti Historical Society is both a museum and an archive. The house itself is the museum, decorated like a house would be in Ypsilanti in 1860. Step back into time while touring the parlor, dining room, solarium, bedroom, and more in the two-story house. There is also an Ypsilanti Room, featuring a permanent exhibit on the city’s history, dating all the way …
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Ypsilanti’s historic African American community
Published: February 6, 2018
Did you know that after the Civil War Ypsilanti had one of the largest African American populations in Michigan? Members of this well-organized community lived through the Jim Crow era, fought racism during World War II, and led the local Civil Rights movement. You can explore their stories through the A.P. Marshall African American Oral History Archive. A.P. Marshall was a local historian who sought to preserve the stories of Ypsilanti’s African American community and did so by recording numerous oral history interviews in the 1980s. The interviews are now available online, with each one featuring a biography of the …
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History
A brief history of the YDL-Michigan building (229 W Michigan Ave)
Ancestry
A large collection of census, vital, military, and immigration records for genealogy research. ***Remote access to Ancestry has ended. You will again have to use a library computer to access the database.***
A.P. Marshall African American Oral History Project
A collection of interviews of Ypsilanti residents who lived through the Jim Crow era, fought racism during WWII, and led the local Civil Rights movement.
