1. Discovering Manuscript Materials
Electronic cataloging of manuscript
collections helps researchers to
identify hard to find primary sources.
Burton Historical The “Down on Main Street” State and
National Archival Partnership Grant Burton Historical
Collection (SNAP) project helped to fund record
information gathering on over 4,000
Collection
manuscript collections housed at the
Manuscript Project Detroit Public Library's Burton Historical
Collection. The primary purpose of this Manuscript Project
grant project is to build access to
Michigan's Archival Information
Network, and allow users to discover
material. We hope to enlighten Gold Mine of Information!
FACTS: librarians and archivists to Detroit
Public Library's searchable manuscript • Historic Americana manuscripts
• Surveyed & Accessioned over records, as well as, find out what other • Manuscripts unique to Michigan
4,000 Collections libraries are doing to make their • Manuscripts relevant to Detroit
manuscripts discoverable.
• Over 26,000 items
• 4 Full-time staff absorbing
portions of project into their
regular work schedule
• Primarily 2 Graduate Students
o Physical counts
o ! 20 hrs per week
o 8 months
BENEFITS: Burton Historical
• Access to unique information Collection
• Create electronic records
• EAD Finding Aids DETROIT PUBLIC LIBRARY
• Verify inventories 5201 Woodward Ave.
• Accession collections Detroit, MI 48202
• Cross reference information Hours: Tu,W: 12:00-8:00 pm;
5201 Woodward Ave. • Detroit, MI 48202
• Improve key word searches Th,F,Sa: 10:00 am-6:00 pm
Hours: Tu,W: 12:00-8:00 pm;
• Greatly Improve searchability! Phone: (313) 833-1480
www.detroitpubliclibrary.org Th,F,Sa: 10:00 am-6:00 pm
Phone: (313) 833-1480
www.detroitpubliclibrary.org
Brochure created by Maureen Simari
Library & Archive Contractor
maureensimari@gmail.com

2. MANUSCRIPT PROJECT AT
BURTON HISTORICAL COLLECTION
Archivist Toolkit
Our Solution: Free (open source software)
Putting It Together:
http://www.archivistoolkit.org
Software creating a database of finding aids
Creates EAD, PDF, & HTML files
PBWorks
Free (Web service)
Formerly PBWiki
Designed to be a Wiki (collaboration)
Upload Finding Aids (HtmL files)
Brisco, Shonda. “Which Wiki Is Right for You?”
School Library Journal 53,5 (2007): 78-9. Print.
Google Custom
Free (Web service)
http://www.google.com/cse
Search engine to search finding aids
Eyitayo, Samuel “10 FREE Google’s Custom
Search Engines for Librarians.” LIPs Common
Concerns. 27 Oct. 2009.
<http://lipsconcerns.blogspot.com/2009/09/
10-free-googles-custom-search-
engines.html>.
Michigan Library Association Conference • Talk Table, Nov. 4, 2009 Presenters:
Maureen Simari, Contractor & Justin Tyler, Detroit Public Library Cataloger
maureensimari@gmail.com • jtyler@detroitpubliclibrary.org
DETROIT PUBLIC LIBRARY • 5201 WOODWARD AVE. • DETROIT, MI 48202
Hours: Tu,W: 12:00-8:00 pm; Th,F,Sa: 10:00 am-6:00 pm • Phone: (313) 833-1480 • www.detroitpubliclibrary.org