Virtual Program: Viper’s Nest: Michigan in the American Revolution, 1775-1783
Thursday, May 7, 2026 - 6:30PM-7:30PM, Zoom
Register for this Program
Though several hundred miles removed from Lexington, Concord, Yorktown, and other major flashpoints of the Revolutionary War, settlers from Detroit and Mackinac, along with Indigenous peoples from Michigan’s Anishinaabeg and Wyandotte nations, were intimately involved in the conflict that birthed the United States. Detroit and Mackinac served as staging grounds for British and Indigenous raids against American settlers in Kentucky, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, while Anishinaabe warriors from northern Michigan defended Quebec during Benedict Arnold’s 1775 invasion of Canada. In response, the Continental Army planned several military campaigns to capture Detroit, none of which came to fruition. Rumors swirled of American troops on Lake Michigan and of French settlers’ sympathy for the Revolution, alarming the British and Indigenous nations. Famed frontiersman Daniel Boone and other Patriots first saw Detroit through the barred windows of “Yankee Hall,” a British prison for American soldiers and captives. This presentation will bring these and other Revolutionary War stories to light, showing how Michigan and its people both influenced and were transformed by the conflict.
Guest Speaker: Jonathan Quint
Registration is required for all Zoom sessions. Find the full schedule of 2026 Virtual Programs with registration information at Michigan.gov/LMPublicPrograms.
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Library of Michigan Late Opening Announcement
The Library of Michigan will open at Noon on May 12, 2026 for staff in-service training.
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2026 Night for Notables Recap
The Library of Michigan and Library of Michigan Foundation celebrated the 2026 Michigan Notable Books during the Night for Notables on Saturday, April 18, 2026. The event was highlighted with a special keynote conversation featuring 2-time Michigan Notable Books honoree and New York Times bestseller Angeline Boulley with educator, policy leader, and advocate Melissa Isaac of the Michigan Department of Education's Indigenous Education Initiative. The acoustic trio the B-Side Growlers from Grand Rapids performed several songs to introduce the Library of Michigan's MiMusic Experience collection initiative as well as during the afterglow reception.
Former Michigan State Librarian Randy Riley was honored throughout the program for his many years of guiding the Michigan Notable Books program until his sudden passing January. The 2026 Michigan Notable Books authors were celebrated during the program and met with attendees during the afterglow. Thank you to everyone who attended the 2026 Night for Notables as well as to the many sponsors who made the event possible.
 Top Left: 2026 Michigan Notable Books Authors. Top Right: B-Side Growlers. Bottom Left: Keynote speaker Angeline Boulley and moderator Melissa Isaac. Bottom Right: MNB Author John Counts signing a book during the Afterglow reception.
2026 Michigan Notable Books Author Tour
50 locations across Michigan are hosting authors from the 2026 Michigan Notables Books list. The schedule of dates, host locations, and authors are available on the Michigan Notable Books website: Michigan.gov/NotableBooks. The Author Tour events will take place between April through August. Special thanks to Michigan Humanities and the Library of Michigan Foundation for supporting the Michigan Notable Books program.
 2026 Michigan Notable Books Author Tour.
"Old Heart" Movie Showing
Join us on May 14, 2026 at 6:30PM for a showing in the Library of Michigan Forum Auditorium of the 2025 movie "Old Heart," a film by Michigan writer, activist, and filmmaker Roger Rapoport.
Adapted from Peter Ferry’s award-winning novel, "Old Heart" tells the story of Tom Johnson, an American soldier who is part of the Allied liberation of the Southern Netherlands in the fall of 1944. He works with Jewish translator, Sarah van Praag, to smuggle food and supplies to starving residents of northern cities trapped behind Nazi lines. They also fall in love.
Sixty years later, in the summer of 2005, Tom foils his family’s plan to move him to an assisted living facility by taking a flight to the Netherlands. He is determined to find Sarah again, the love of his life.
Following the movie, there will be a Q&A session with Director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Terry J. Sabo, former Director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Zaneta Adams, filmmaker Roger Rapoport, movie director Kirk Wahamaki, and lead actor Ed Gaines.
View the movie trailer: https://vimeo.com/1170140756
 "Old Heart"
Save the Date - Celebrating 2025-2026 Michigan Author Award Recipient Jim Daniels
The Library of Michigan will honor 2025-2026 Michigan Author Award Recipient Jim Daniels on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at Marshall District Library in Marshall, MI. More details will soon be announced.
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