The Clarke Library is one of CMU’s many small treasures. The library is dedicated to documenting Michigan history and the history of children’s literature with an emphasis on the books from which children learn to read, in addition to serving as the CMU archives. In each of these three areas the library maintains a rich and ever-growing body of material that enables researchers to learn a few facts, write a term-paper, or conduct a scholarly research project taking months to complete.

The library’s resources also serve to support an active exhibit program. Exhibits, which change twice yearly, highlight some aspect of the collection and often are linked to some external event such as an important anniversary. Past exhibits have ranged from original art drawn to illustrate children’s book to the history of Michigan’s oil and gas industry.

In addition, the Clarke maintains an active website (http://clarke.cmich.edu/). Recognized by the American Association of State and Local History for its content, the Clarke’s website offers online students, faculty, and other researchers many of the resources found within the library.