• Mossler, J. and S Benson (revised in 1999). Minnesota at a Glance: Fossil Collecting in the Twin Cities Area. Minnesota Geological Survey. University of Minnesota.
  
  This free Adobe PDF file (approx. 1 MB in size) is a must-have for identifying fossils commonly found around the Twin Cities of Ordovician age: Minnesota at a Glance: Fossil Collecting in the Twin Cities Area
  
  
• R. K. Hogberg, R. E. Sloan and Sarah Tufford (1967). Guide to Fossil Collecting in Minnesota. University of Minnesota Geological Survey. Educational Series 1.
  
  Unfortunately, it appears that the Minnesota Geological Survey let this great little booklet run out of print. If enough people make queries, perhaps they'll release it again: http://www.geo.umn.edu/mgs/index.html. Check holdings at the University of Minnesota Libraries.
  
  
• Many titles (academic and less accessible) available at the Walter Library at University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus. Specifically, search for anything written by retired geology professor Robert Sloan or produced by the Minnesota Geological Survey.
  
  
• Shimer & Shrock (1987). Index Fossils of North America. MIT Press, 13th printing, 837 pp. ISBN: 0-262-19001-X
  
  This title appears to be out of print. But you may be able to obtain an older copy (it's not cheap), or have one sent to your local library via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). It's probably the most comprehensive guide to fossil identification available in North America. Though written for an academic audience, it's a must-have (unfortunately I don't have it myself) for the serious hobbyist. One issue you're guaranteed to encounter is that you'll immediately become unsure of the identification you once thought was solid as you see many close alternatives. But pay close attention to the fine print, and (as with bird watching) be aware of the normal range or distribution of each species before settling on a particular identification. Check holdings at the University of Minnesota Libraries.
  
  
• Vickers Rich, P, TH Rich, MA Fenton, & CL Fenton (1997). The Fossil Book : A Record of Prehistoric Life. Dover Publ., 760 pp. ISBN: 0486293718
  
  This is a good introduction to paleontology. Many recent books on paleontology jump straight to lavish color illustrations of dinosaurs and meteor impacts -- whereas this one is useful for a paleontology hobbyist in the midwest. Identifying fossils is only part of the hobby. It's nice to read up on general modes of life and geologic time periods. For example, you're sure it's some sort of cephalopod, it was found in a Platteville Limestone formation in Goodhue County, and it's Ordovician. Read up on how cephalopod bodies work, and what life was like in the Ordovician -- even if you still cannot quite confirm the identification down to the genus level. In many cases, experts in cladistics cannot agree among themselves, and there is no definitive database. You should still be able to purchase this title. A few libraries in Minnesota have a copy in their systems: MnLINK.

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