The following library staff members earned Certificates of Library Staff Development by attending workshops through MCLS:  Basic Essential Workplace Skills Certificate  Linda Andersen, West Iron District Library, MI  Jeanette Bouchie, Vigo County Public Library, IN Brooke Thomas, North Manchester Public Library, IN   Basic Cataloging Certificate  Gracen Cabiness, South Carolina State Library, SC David Sirka, …Read more »

Join us at 11 a.m. Eastern (10 a.m. Central) on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, for a webinar presented by The Social History Archive.   The Social History Archive offers the most comprehensive online archive of British, Irish, and former Empire historical resources for academic research and teaching. The continually growing collection contains hundreds of millions of images of historical records and newspapers, supporting …Read more »

Things remain busy at MCLS in this time of transitions, and I hope to see many members at the MCLS Annual Meeting on Dec. 2, 2025 at 10 a.m. Eastern (9 a.m. Central) on Zoom (please register here) where topics will include revised MCLS Bylaws and our Board of Directors’ next steps following their September member survey and recent retreat.   Following a Board vote on Nov.14 to …Read more »

MCLS kicks off a new year of Virtual Dialogues on Thursday, Jan. 22 from 10:30 a.m. to noon Eastern (9:30-11 a.m. Central). We will discuss how we’ve survived and thrived amid uncertainty, and how we can use our strengths and the lessons we’ve learned to continue to serve our communities during unpredictable times. MCLS Virtual …Read more »

TALK: Text and Learn for Kindergarten is a text-based service for libraries that promotes the practice of talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing with children to foster early learning skills. To help patrons navigate to the TALK website and sign up for participation, please check out the TALK Toolkit, located in the For Libraries dropdown …Read more »

Join MCLS this winter and spring for our popular Supervisor Series workshops, including our new Super Manager session in April! These engaging, interactive workshops include group activities, individual reflection, discussions, and hands-on practice on a variety of important skills for today’s library leaders. All Supervisor Series workshops are held on Zoom and facilitated by MCLS …Read more »

Please submit a RIDES Assistance form if your library will be closed on a scheduled day of service. Short closures should be reported no more than two weeks prior to closing. Extended closures of more than 30 days should be submitted at least two weeks prior to closing. It is not necessary to report if …Read more »

The following library staff members earned Certificates of Library Staff Development by attending workshops through MCLS: Basic Essential Workplace Skills Certificate Jeania Deaton, St. Clair County Library System, MI Lorraine Whitney, Liberty Fund, Inc., IN Kristie Feguer, Reed City Area District Library, MI Are you interested in obtaining your Certificate of Library Staff Development? Any …Read more »

Thank you to everyone who attended the MeLCat 20th Anniversary celebrations, either virtually or in person. We’re also grateful to everyone who participated in the anniversary activities throughout this year, whether by sharing your MeLCat stories or hosting Mittens at your library. It’s always fun to connect to share our stories and libraries. And an …Read more »

This month I thank the 232 people who responded to the MCLS Board of Directors’ survey in September, and will share next steps the Board will take. The Board and I really appreciate the data MCLS members took the time to submit, including hundreds of comments.   As I mentioned in September, MCLS’s member libraries own MCLS as an organization. According to MCLS’s governance system, …Read more »