Free Read Michigan e-book platform expands focus to seasonal, outdoor field guides 

A homegrown digital library is experiencing a breakthrough yr.

Learn Michigan – the statewide book assortment constructed round Michigan authors, locations and tales – has seen regular, measurable development, capped this yr by a spike in utilization due to the newly expanded Michigan Area Guides and Exercise assortment.

“We’re seeing tens of hundreds of periods, and the sector guides are an enormous a part of that momentum,” mentioned David Votta, particular collections supervisor on the Library of Michigan. By the top of August, Learn Michigan had recorded roughly 8,000 title accessions for 2025, of which roughly 6,000 had been tied to the outdoor-facing discipline guides alone. Cumulatively, the platform has recorded greater than 82,000 periods and 135,000 direct visits since launch.

Born in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and expanded in 2022 as a partnership between the Library of Michigan, Michigan Humanities, and the College of Michigan Press, Michigan State College, and Wayne State College, Learn Michigan combines simplicity with a distinctly native lens. The gathering is hosted on BiblioBoard and delivers most titles as PDFs that open in a browser or could be downloaded for offline studying. Entry is authenticated on-site, making it straightforward for individuals throughout the state to entry Michigan-focused books without cost at residence, in school rooms or on the go.

The platform’s development arc displays each its attain and programming.

Learn Michigan recorded about 6,000 title accesses in 2022, then rose to about 21,000 in 2023, helped by Michigan Humanities’ Nice Michigan Learn spot on “Firekeeper’s Daughter.” After roughly 14,000 entries in 2024, the 2025 figures are once more on a powerful pattern, largely due to the sector guides. The gathering is fashionable year-round and particularly helpful in the course of the fall shade season and late yr hikes. In October, perennial favorites like ‘Ghostly Tales of Michigan’ stand up the charts.

This yr’s collaboration with the Michigan Division of Pure Assets has given the invention a lift. The Library of Michigan and the DNR promoted the Area Information & Exercise assortment, which covers birds, wildflowers, tent tenting, mushrooms and extra, in park newsletters and on-site with QR codes at campgrounds and state parks.

“It provides worth for park guests,” says Votta. “You’ll be able to scan a code on the spot, and even higher: obtain a guide upfront and take it with you off-grid.” Readers may also use the non-obligatory BiblioBoard app to construct a cell board earlier than venturing into limited-service areas.

Along with the outside, Learn Michigan contains fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and younger grownup titles, with a transparent emphasis on the state’s individuals and locations. Many notable Michigan books from the previous are included within the catalog, along with Arcadia Publishing’s “Pictures of America” ​​sequence, that are native historical past books extensively utilized in faculties.

“Fourth and fifth graders learning their neighborhood can all open the identical e-book on the identical time and take a look at the archival images collectively,” Votta mentioned. “It deepens that sense of place – it connects kids to the tales, streets and other people round them.”

Be taught that Michigan’s latest integration into the Michigan eLibrary additional expands its attain. MeL (mel.org) is already the digital entrance door for residents statewide, providing subscription magazines, newspapers, databases and ebooks for all ages. Inside that trusted ecosystem, Housing Learn Michigan streamlines discovery for academics, college students, households and lifelong learners.

“We’re happy with Learn Michigan and its capability to supply instantaneous entry to eBooks that mirror a broad spectrum of subjects throughout our state,” librarian Randy Riley mentioned in a information launch. “Including Learn Michigan to the Michigan eLibrary will increase its visibility, particularly for college kids, academics and lifelong learners.”

State decide. Michael Rice referred to as the platform “a terrific worth for Michiganders,” noting its function in increasing high-quality digital studying inside communities.

Licensing stays a sensible consideration – particularly for latest bestsellers and audiobooks – as publishers’ pricing fashions differ. But the Library of Michigan continues to develop its assortment by prioritizing Michigan-focused works that meet the wants of school rooms and communities. The New Michigan Notable E book choices, usually introduced in December or January, are anticipated to drive the following wave of additives.

Trying forward, Votta sees loads of room to increase the sector information idea throughout Michigan’s 4 seasons (suppose snowshoeing, ice fishing, and winter birding) to satisfy readers the place they already are.

“Tourism companies, accommodations, interstate journey companies… we would like individuals to find a Michigan e-book proper as they’re exploring the state,” he mentioned. The library additionally expects broader interagency partnerships that combine schooling, recreation and tradition, whether or not it’s a fourth-grade native historical past unit, a fall tenting journey or a small-town weekend journey.

Go to to get began readmichigan.org or mel.org and seek for a title or browse curated collections. Open a e-book to learn it instantly or obtain it for offline use. For many who want a cell workflow, the BiblioBoard app makes it straightforward to avoid wasting your choices. For extra info, contact the Library of Michigan at 517-335-1477, librarian@michigan.gov or michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan.