MCLS last issued an RFP for statewide delivery services in December 2003. In the interest of due diligence, MCLS has issued a new RFP for RIDES service to begin July 2016. The RFP is posted http://mcls.org/ridesrfp. Questions regarding the RFP may be addressed to ridesrfp@mcls.org.

MCLS is offering up to twenty $500 collection development mini-grants to school libraries in Indiana that are MCLS members. These funds are being made available through a grant program established by the MCLS Board of Trustees from the proceeds of the sale of the former INCOLSA building.  $50,000 per year for the next five years …Read more »

MCLS will host a live Twitter chat series at #MCLSchat with special guests who are veterans in the field of library management.  These one-hour Twitter chats will provide opportunities to get expert advice from your veteran peers in the library management field without leaving your desk (or your smart phone.) When? Every Thursday in February …Read more »

A little more than two years ago, MCLS undertook a concerted effort to connect more effectively and engage more deeply with its members. We have held many conversations with members both in groups and individually, some in formal settings, others more informally. Our intent was to listen to our members and learn about the things …Read more »

MCLS is pleased to announce our newest team member, Megan Bauerle. She began on November 5 as our Member Services Assistant. Megan is currently finishing her thesis for an M.S. in archaeology with a focus in biological anthropology from Illinois State University. In 2013, she obtained her B.S. in psychology and anthropology, with a minor in …Read more »

From October 14-16, I had the good fortune to attend the Harwood Institute/ALA Public Innovators Lab in Detroit, Michigan. My attendance, as well as a colleague’s, was made possible thanks to a scholarship we received from Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS). There is no way we could have attended without their help, as our …Read more »

The Library of Michigan and MCLS are offering a robust, extensive, and essentially free community engagement training opportunity. The Library of Michigan and MCLS are pleased to announce a several month long community engagement training program for Michigan library staff. The training will be led by coaches from the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, and …Read more »

By an overwhelming majority vote, our member representatives elected the proposed slate of new and returning board members. The elected slate: Research Library Representative (Indiana)—Julie Bobay, Indiana University Libraries School Library Representative (Indiana)—Addie Matteson, Noblesville Schools At-Large Library Representative (Indiana)—Kate Linderman, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Public Library Representative (Michigan)—Eva Davis, Canton Public Library At-Large Library …Read more »

Wine tasting, beer making and literary pub crawls: Holding spirited events at your library. If your library wants to bring in new audiences, promote local tourism, or provide educational  and cultural opportunities that would include wine, beer or other spirits, this workshop is for you. Attendees will learn how to convince the board, comply with …Read more »

As a follow-up to our Media Coaching workshops, we invite you to participate in “Media boot camp: Interviewing skills.” We will review some of the basic tips for being interviewed by the media, and then attendees will participate in multiple interview scenarios. Interviews will be played back and constructively critiqued by your peers. Never say …Read more »