Michigan Room
Overview
The Michigan Room houses publicly accessible resources for local history and genealogy research, including desktops for accessing online genealogy resources. Patrons are always welcome to use this space for small meetings, to read quietly, or hold tutoring sessions.
A list of resources (PDF) including room layout is available.
Note: the room is not reserveable except for library sponsored events.
The Local History Collection
HPL has many historical resources including newspapers, photographs, family histories, birth, death and marriage records, books, platt maps and so much more. All is available for public use, but much of it must be specifically requested from staff.
Collection Statement
materials relating to the history of Barry County, its major villages (Delton, Freeport, Middleville,
Nashville, and Woodland), and the city of Hastings. The collection mainly serves the general public, but
also supports the research activities of scholars and students.
Primary Areas of Collecting
Primary areas of collecting include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
- Materials that record the history, laws, culture, and industry of Barry County and the city of
Hastings. - Materials that record the history, experiences, and ancestry of Barry County individuals and
families. Photographs are an important part of this collection, specifically those relating to local
photographers. - Materials that record the history of Barry County organizations and institutions
- Materials that record the history of the area’s geography, demographics, and architecture.
- Materials that assist researchers in tracing their family backgrounds and/or researching
individual county residents - Materials that provide instruction in the practice of genealogy, local history, preservation, oral
history, and similar topics. - Select materials that record the history of the State of Michigan and add depth to the materials
about Barry County
See the full Local History Collection Development Policy
The Barry County History Portal
In Fall 2022, we launched a new local history website all about Barry County history. It highlights items in our collection and will be added to over time.
A significant collection on the website is digitized newspapers, including The Hastings Banner and Nashville News. Some copies of the Hastings Herald and Maple Valley News are available with the Sun & News coming in 2023.
The Local History Preservation Project
To support ongoing efforts to preserve, document and increase availability of our growing local history collection, we have established a formal project to which patrons may donate. Checks can be made payable to Hastings Public Library or you can donate via PayPal.