Experiencing the UWM Special Collections

 Guest Post by Cameron Neubauer

My research was focused on Ruth Mitchell, sister of Billy Mitchell. Thanks to the class bibliography, I had a primary source that I knew I wanted to use right away. I went to the online database for archival collections at UWM and found that they had Ruth’s book, My Brother Bill, in Special Collections. One afternoon I went to the Special Collections department and asked to see the book. There was a list of rules for the material including no drinks or food, and no picking the material up off the table. I signed off on the rules and sat at the table. Once they brought the book out to me, I was surprised by how well kempt it was. The cover was battered only slightly, and the pages barely had any folds or wear. It was shocking to see the price tag on the book as well for $4.00 compared to prices today, but it makes sense considering the book was published in 1953. After surveying the condition, I began flipping through the pages. In the beginning was a page honoring the memory of four John Lendrum Mitchells in the family. There is an introduction by US Air Force Lieutenant General Gerald W. Johnson which was honorable as well and made the whole book seem slightly less biased. I began using my phone Notes app to scan the entirety of the book with every page. It took quite a bit of time, but it ended up being worth it for my classmates and I to read the book with ease. The reading was relatively easy to follow and enjoyable because Ruth didn’t use scholarly vocabulary and kept to a chronological timeline of Billy’s life. Overall, My Brother Bill is an interesting book to pick up not only for research purposes but for recreational reading too.