As befits the cradle of the American auto industry, the Detroit area is rife with talented writers, photographers and historians who have taken automotive history as their subject.  Many of them have used the vast resources of the National Automotive History Collection at the Skillman Branch of the Detroit Public Library to research their work.  It makes sense, then, that the Skillman library would be the site of the second annual Automotive Authors Day.

Wayne State University History Professor, Dr. Charles Hyde, who has written extensively on the Dodge Brothers among other topics, organized the day.  "I realized there are a lot of us right here in this area, and we should do a better job at promoting our collective work," Hyde says.

Automotive Authors Day is the area's largest gathering of automotive history writers.  The event runs from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 17 at the Skillman Branch Library, 121 Gratiot at Library in downtown Detroit.  Authors will be available to sign books, speak with readers and sell their books in the Rose Skillman Auditorium on the second floor of the library.  The event is free and open to the public. 

Nineteen authors have confirmed that they will participate, Hyde says.  They cover such subjects as Rex Roy's book on Motor City dream garages, Walt McCall's book on funeral vehicles and John Bluth's atlas of pioneer auto factories. 

Three authors will speak about their books and take questions.  Sally Clarke will speak about "Trust and Power: the Automobile Market" at 2:30 p.m.; Roger Hart will present his collection of Detroit Grand Prix photos at 3:15 p.m. and Tracy Powell will speak on "Harley Earl and GM Styling" at 4:00 p.m. Hart's photos are also featured in a concurrent exhibit at the branch.

Hyde organized the first Automotive Authors Day in the fall of 2006 and said about 400 people attended.  Some people even stopped by on their way to the Tigers game, bought books and chatted with authors, surprised to find such an event happening in the shadow of the stadiums.

Having the event in November instead of September, as it was in 2006, means fewer distractions from summer events and more people thinking in terms of buying books for holiday gifts, Hyde says. He's been promoting the event with antique automobile clubs and through automotive history websites, among other venues.

In addition to promoting the work of the authors who are appearing, Automotive Authors Day is also a chance to promote and support the National Automotive History Collection, Hyde says.  The collection is the nation's largest archive of automobile books, photos and sales literature, and most of the authors who have written about aspects of auto history have done extensive research there.   Many people do not even know that the collection exists or how much information it holds.  "It's not just to promote us authors, but to promote the collection as a real jewel of a resource," Hyde says. 

The National Automotive History Collection was officially designated as a special collection by the Detroit Public Library in 1953, although the library has collected automotive materials - print materials such as books, periodicals, advertising literature, photographs, specifications, service and owner's manuals, and personal and business papers - since the late 19th century.  The collection contains more than 600,000 different items and is considered the premier collection of its kind.  Thousands of photographs which depict the automobile's historical, social, mechanical, and design aspects are available for public viewing, research, and publication. Automobile manuscript files contain more than 350,000 technical and descriptive items that illuminate the styling detail, specifications, and restoration of the automobile.  Biographical files, personal papers, and business documents of both pioneers and corporate leaders offer insight into the development, industrial psychology, and economics of the automotive industry.

Having the collection right in their backyard, as it were, has inspired many of the authors who will be featured at Automotive Authors Day.  While not all of the authors at the fair are local, many are and the National Automotive History Collection is one of the reasons why, Hyde says.

As a group, the authors' goal is not just nostalgia, Hyde says, but a deeper understanding of the industry's past as a way to inform the future.  "There are a lot of homegrown authors here who have done some significant work in the history of the industry," Hyde says. "We're not just looking through the rearview mirror at the past - the work we do will may help suggest where the industry ought to be going in the future as well."

The Skillman Branch of the Detroit Public Library was formerly known simply as the Downtown Branch.  The branch closed in the late 1990s while significant development occurred nearby, including the construction of Ford Field and the Compuware building.  During the demolition of the old Hudson's building, the library suffered damage, but reopened in 2004 after an extensive $7 million renovation.  It was renamed the Skillman branch to honor a $5 million gift from the Skillman Foundation which paid for the majority of the work that was done, including restoring the building's beautiful facade and making the entire branch more technologically up-to-date and user-friendly.

For more information about the National Automotive History Collection, visit their website at www.detroitpubliclibrary.org/nahc.

For more information on Automotive Authors Days, visit: www.detroitpubliclibrary.org/events/AutoAuthors.htm.

For more automotive history, visit the MotorCities National Heritage Area at www.motorcities.org.