City of Grand Rapids, Michigan records at the Grand Rapids Public Library
Scope and Contents
Several of the items in this collection were formerly in the “City” section of the GRPL Ephemera Collection. Due to the volume of growth with the transfers of rare or fragile materials from the GRPL Local History Book collection, it became necessary to create a specific collection to better organize and present these materials to the user.
Series have been created for the various City departments, as materials are available. There series are listed roughly in alphabetical order, with some exceptions. Within the series, items are usually listed chronologically, or in some cases, alphabetically and then chronologically.
Dates
- no date
Extent
17.7 Linear Feet (Over 40 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This is a devised collection containing primarily books, reports and ephemera created by City Departments of the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It also contains documents about the city that were created by other organizations. This collection is not intended to replicate the official City Archives, but to provide access to more popular and mainstream items. Since the Library existed for many years before the City Archives was founded, it is possible that in some cases the Library may also hold duplicate sets of some City titles or in some cases be the only holder of some historical items. Other City related documents are housed within the department’s book collection. Additionally, a few publications by non-governmental organizations about the local government are included.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Various and unknown donors, including Calvin College Archives, accession number 2002.101A.
Processing Information
In 2001 a full-scale history of the Police Department was planned by that Department, with the intention to build an archival collection at GRPL. The first accession of materials at that time was for Harriett Hill, the first African American woman detective for Grand Rapids, and the collection no. 308 was assigned.
A general collection of archival holdings related to the City of Grand Rapids at GRPL, Coll. 303, was also available. When no additional materials for Coll 308 had been received by 2007, the Hill items were moved to Coll. 303, and the Coll. 308 number was assigned to another archival collection.
- Title
- Finding aid for the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan records at the Grand Rapids Public Library
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- R. Mayne
- Date
- November 2001
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Grand Rapids History Center Repository
Grand Rapids Public Library
111 Library Street NE
Grand Rapids Michigan 49503 USA
616-988-5497
localhis@grpl.org