Information Center
Information Center is responsible for responding to inquiries about SEMCOG publications, census data, maps, aerial imagery, and other technical information. It includes the SEMCOG Library, which was established in 1972, and has grown to become the largest planning library in Southeast Michigan. Approximately 2,000 requests are received each year via phone, mail, fax, e-mail, and visits.
The Information Center has an extensive and specialized collection which includes:
- more than 1,400 master, land use, and recreation plans for communities in Southeast Michigan;
- a collection of approximately 30,000 books and reports on regional planning issues in subject areas of: transportation, the environment, community and economic development, demographics, public safety, land use, and joint public services. Books and reports can be borrowed by SEMCOG members only;
- an extensive collection of census material back to the 1940s (Michigan material is emphasized);
- 300 periodical titles received quarterly; and
- an extensive variety of databases.
The Library is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. SEMCOG members may borrow materials from the Library. Others may use materials on-site only. Duplication facilities and interlibrary loans are available.
Database Resources
First Search
The FIRSTSEARCH service provides access to a broad range of online databases which contain timely information on a variety of topic areas from business to economics to public affairs and the law.
Ordinance Collection
The Information Center staff will provide an ordinance search using an enhanced global search of Municode's Michigan ordinances supplemented with information from our newspaper clippings collection.
Recent Library Material
An indexed list of the Nov/Dec 2007 acquisitions made by our Library is available in PDF.
Publications Database
This database lists available publications produced by SEMCOG on various topics including community and economic development, demographics, environment, joint public services, transportation, and others. All publications are available in PDF (portable document format). To view PDF documents, you must have Adobe Acrobat.
Meeting Agendas
This database provides previous meeting agendas. All publications are available in PDF (portable document format).
If you wish to obtain a hard copy of any of these publications, please contact the Information Center at 313-961-4266 or InfoCenter@semcog.org with the title of the publication.
Contact SEMCOG's Information Center for any aerial or map orders as well as for specialized research services.