Collection Overview
The G. Robert Vincent Voice Library is a collection of over 100,000 hours of spoken word recordings, dating back to 1888. The collection includes the voices of over 500,000 persons from all walks of life. Political and cultural leaders and minor players in the human drama are captured and cataloged to serve the research needs of a local, national and international user base. Clients include students and faculty of Michigan State University, other scholars and researchers, broadcasting networks, news agencies and film, video, and Web production companies.
Explore our Galleries
Lansing Auto Town
A collection featuring oral histories and interviews with members and employees of the United Auto Workers Local 602, Fisher Body, and Diamond REO assembly plants as well as other material focused on Lansing’s auto industry.
Michigan Writers
A collection featuring readings by and discussions with writers who live and work in Michigan.
Michigan Supreme Court Justices
A collection of oral history interviews with former members of Michigan’s Supreme Court conducted by the Michigan Supreme Court Historical society.
U.S. Presidents
A collection featuring recordings of United States Presidents held in the Vincent Voice Library.
Women's Overseas Service League Oral Histories
The Women's Overseas Service League (WOSL) oral history digital collection features 162 audio interviews with American women who served overseas during the World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.
Voices of the Black Imaginary
An oral history collection featuring interviews with scholars and creatives engaged with Afrofuturism.
iDetroit
i.Detroit is a research-based exploration of 100 individuals from the City of Detroit. The three-year project was built on the foundation of a six-month nomination process, where a diverse group of Detroiters nominated people from their own communities who represent the very best of service to society and are making significant contributions to Detroit, the region and beyond.
Our Daily WorkOur Daily Lives
An archive of Our Daily Work Our Daily Lives events, an ongoing series which focuses on the artistic traditions of workers and on workplaces as contexts for the expression of workers culture.
Using the Collection
Online access to Voice Library holdings is determined by copyright law. Items held in the public domain and those with permission granted are available for listening as mp3 files. See a listing of recordings available for online listening. Look for "Listen to sound recording". Copies of many other items may be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan, via a public or university library. Some fees may apply.
All recordings may be listened to at Vincent Voice Library facilities on Four West of the MSU Main Library in East Lansing. Please check our hours of operation.