The bibliographic records of the Bentley Historical Library are now accessible through the U-M’s online catalog, MIRLYN.
The Bentley houses both the Michigan Historical Collections, which document the history of the state of Michigan, and the University Archives, with documents dating back to the University’s founding in 1817. Its rich collections draw scholars from all over the world.
As of March 15, more than 12,000 Bentley records had been added to the MIRLYN database. They include the U-M archives plus manuscripts, visual materials, and about 10 percent of the library’s printed books, 15 percent of its serials, and 35 percent of its maps. Conversion of remaining Bentley records is under way, according to Assistant Director William K. Wallach.
“The sharing of a common catalog will be an enormous help to researchers and students because it integrates databases,” Wallach says. “Each record can act as a pointer to more information and its location.”
The Bentley holdings will appear through standard MIRLYN search methods. The Bentley Library is identified as “XB” in the MCAT (Michigan Catalog) screen, just as a “UL” appears next to holdings found in the University Library. At the point where users can choose the long or brief view of the record, Wallach advises typing in “lon” for the long view, which provides a more complete summary of collections.
Bentley Director Francis X. Blouin Jr. sees the addition of the collections to MIRLYN as “a very important step for us and one which I think will be of enormous benefit to U-M students, faculty and staff. I am pleased that the University Library and the Bentley could work together to achieve this goal.”
Donald E. Riggs, dean of the Univer-sity Library, notes that the inclusion of the Bentley Library’s records is a good example of cooperation that greatly enhances the University’s teaching and research activities.