Librarian
Stewart Van Cleve
he/him
Contact:
612-330-1014
Subjects: Humanities and Fine Arts, Science and Mathematics
Databases & Websites
- Digitized maps and AtlasesA collection of maps and atlases throughout Minnesota made available from the Borchert Map Library at the U of M.
- Hennepin History MagazineA searchable digital collection of Hennepin History, published by the Hennepin History Museum since 1941.
- Historic Aerial PhotographsThis is an extremely useful tool for looking at changes in Minnesota over time, especially in the Twin Cities.
- Minnesota Compass - General SiteA collection of demographic data tailored to Minnesota.
- Minnesota Compass - Twin CitiesDemographic information about specific Twin Cities neighborhoods.
- Minnesota History MagazinePublished by the Minnesota Historical Society, this magazine is a good place for more Minnesota-specific research.
- Minnesota ReflectionsContains tens of thousands of images from libraries, museums, and archives around the state.
- MNopediaCreated by the Minnesota Historical Society, this is a lot like Wikipedia but for Minnesota history.
- Ramsey County Historical SocietyThis database includes articles published in the Ramsey County Historical Society's magazine.
Archives and Libraries
While Lindell Library should be your first step, here are additional places in the Twin Cities for local research. You can schedule a research appointment at each one, but note that you will need to visit in person!
- Hennepin County Library Special CollectionsEmail: specialcoll@hclib.org
- Ramsey County Historical SocietyEmail: info@rchs.com
- Minnesota Historical Society LibraryEmail: reference@mnhs.org
Books
AIA Guide to the Twin Cities by Call Number: NA735.M5 M53 2007Publication Date: 2007-05-15A comprehensive, illustrated handbook of architectural history in the Twin Cities, including most neighborhoods.
Creating Minnesota : A History From the Inside Out by Call Number: F606 .A87 2007Using stories, Creating Minnesota, provides a fresh new look at Minnesota History.
Twin Cities by Trolley by Publication Date: 2007"A rolling snapshot of Minneapolis and St. Paul from the 1880s to the 1950s, when the streetcar system shaped the growth and character of the entire metropolitan area."
Voices of Rondo (2017) by A collection of oral histories of the Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul, which was demolished for Interstate 94.
Newspapers
These open-source databases of full-text newspapers are a rich source of information on American history.
- Digital Minnesota Newspaper ArchivesA collection of newspapers digitized by the Library of Congress and searchable online.
- FocusPointNewspaper for the LGBTQ community in the Twin Cities from 1994-1997.
- The Minneapolis Labor ReviewAn archive of labor history in Minnesota since 1907.
- Minnesota Digital Newspaper HubA collection of newspapers digitized by the Minnesota Historical Society and searchable online.
Additional Web Resources
- Gubernatorial Addresses to the Minnesota Legislature: 1857-PresentSelected Inaugural addressees, "State of the State" addresses, and selected special messages to the Legislature by Minnesota governors.
- Minnesota Digital Library Primary Source SetsA group of primary source collections that focus on topics relevant to Minnesota history.
- Minnesota Legislators Past & PresentMinnesota Legislators Past & Present is the only comprehensive list of legislators who have served in the Minnesota Legislature since territorial times. This is a work in progress.
- Ramsey County Historical SocietyThe independent, nonprofit Ramsey County Historical Society, representing one of the three oldest counties in Minnesota, has more than 6,000 images online; go to their online collections database to jump in. Keyword searches by street names are a good way to start.
- Hennepin County Library Special CollectionsA collection of images and documents digitized by the Hennepin County Library.
Minnesota Historical Society Links.
The Minnesota Historical Society has created online excellent descriptions of their collections and in some instances digitized an entire collection. This page contains links to those descriptions and collections. This is just a sampling of what is available at the Society!
- Minnesota Historical Society CollectionsThis link connects you to the vast online resources of the Minnesota Historical Society.
- Immigrant Oral HistoriesImmigrant Oral Histories presents a collection of over 250 oral history interviews conducted between 1975 and 2004 with recent immigrants to Minnesota and their American-born children.
- Oral HistoryThis is a guide to the Oral History Collections at the Minnesota Historical Society. The collection's contents range from interviews with polka band members to medical device pioneers.