Save the date! Starting February 2022, Midwest Collaborative for Library Services and the University of Michigan will partner to offer a pilot of the “Grant Writing and Crowdfunding for Public Libraries” online course. With limited “seats” available, this initial course will be offered FREE for up to 100 individual staff members of MCLS member libraries …Read more »

By Chrystal Pickell Vandervest Read time: 4 minutes Before we can talk about the anatomy and use of CC Licenses and CC-Licensed Works for your next OER project, it is essential that we have a base understanding of copyright.  Copyright law’s relationship with intellectual property  Copyright law falls under the umbrella of intellectual property (rights …Read more »

Mark your calendars for the MCLS Annual Membership Meeting to take place from 10-11am Eastern (9-10am Central) on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. This year’s membership meeting will take place online using Zoom, and will feature reports from MCLS President Paul Gallagher, Executive Director Scott Garrison, and Treasurer (and Audit Committee Chair) Arlene Weismantel. There is …Read more »

We are pleased to announce that Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS) has been awarded an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant in the amount of $45,000 by the Indiana State Library. The grant will allow us to offer Libraries Engaging Appreciatively for Positive Change (LEAP) to Indiana library staff in 2022. LEAP is a …Read more »

This fall has marked a return to some of the in-person conferences many have missed so much since March 2020, while others continue to gather virtually. This month, I’ll share some of the things I heard at two I recently attended: the Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME, Michigan’s school library association) and the …Read more »

By Chrystal Pickell Vandervest Read time: 2 minutes As you may know, at the heart of many open educational resources (OER) are Creative Commons licenses. These licenses allow faculty to use, adapt, and remix content. The newly created resources further build upon the knowledge contained in other OERs, and then, that knowledge is shared with …Read more »

By an overwhelming majority vote, our member representatives elected the proposed slate of Board members. The elected slate includes: At-Large Library Representative (Indiana) – Trista Smith, Director, Newburgh Chandler Public Library Research Library Representative (Indiana) – Marion Frank-Wilson, Associate Dean for Collection Development and Archival Collections, Indiana University School Library Representative (Indiana) – Rain Smith, …Read more »

Listening to libraries Each October, we at MCLS anticipate our Board of Directors’ annual fall retreat. Our Board members always appreciate knowing what’s on library leaders’ and staff’s minds leading up to the retreat, as they and I discuss MCLS’s future together. Recently, I’ve started a new series of conversations with library directors in Indiana …Read more »

MCLS is seeking library staff from all types of libraries who want to help shape future group purchases. Our vision for the Product Advisory Librarians (PALs) is to test and trial products and provide feedback. This information will help us determine the direction for product offerings in a more thoughtful manner. Benefits for PALs: Influence …Read more »

The MCLS Board of Directors has accepted the Nominating Committee’s proposed slate of candidates for the five seats with terms expiring at the end of December 2021. Electronic voting to approve the slate of candidates begins on Sept. 16. All Member Representatives should receive an email on Sept. 16 with voting instructions. Votes will be …Read more »