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 »
BiblioBoard is a digital platform that provides libraries with tools to create, share, and discover local content. It allows libraries to offer a vast collection of e-books, articles, images, and other digital resources without waitlists or holds. MCLS member libraries receive discounted pricing. Key Features Community Engagement Custom Submission Pages (CSPs): Libraries can invite patrons to …Read more »
MeLCat is 20! For those of you who were unable to join us at MLA last month to mark this milestone anniversary, we invite you to join us for an online celebration. Join the MeL team staff from the Library of Michigan and MCLS on Zoom, Thursday, Nov. 20 from 3-4 p.m. Eastern (2-3 p.m. Central). We’ll share some MeLCat stories, follow the travels of Mittens the MeLCat Mascot throughout the …Read more »
We are pleased to share that two valued MCLS team members have stepped into new roles as of Oct. 1, 2025! Ann Kaskinen, former MeL Engagement Specialist, K-12, is now our new TALK Program Coordinator and Laura Warren-Gross, former MeL Engagement Specialist, Public, is stepping into the role of Engagement Strategist. Due to federal funding …Read more »
Get ready for the 2025 MI OER Conference: Limitless Learning, Infinite Impact at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. Registration opens July 15! MCLS is pleased to partner with libraries and library organizations throughout Indiana and Michigan. One of these groups is the Michigan OER Network, a collaborative team representing …Read more »
Defining the Library Consortium Libraries today operate in complex environments, navigating evolving community expectations, and a growing set of unknowns. Whether large or small, urban or rural, all libraries share the common challenge of delivering high-quality services in a sustainable and impactful way. In this context, library consortia like the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services …Read more »
If you’re going to be at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Philadelphia in June, keep an eye out for Executive Director Scott Garrison and eLicensing and Collection Resources Manager Sarah Beaubien, who plan to attend the conference. And even if you’re not going to ALA Annual this year, the MCLS Engagement, Consulting, and …Read more »
As MCLS prepares to embark on a strategic planning process in 2023, we want to engage with the library community in both Indiana and Michigan through a series of Community Conversations. These conversations are fast approaching this month, so please register today! This engagement process is an opportunity to hear from our community—staff from libraries …Read more »
As MCLS prepares to embark on a strategic planning process in 2023, we will engage with the library community in Indiana and Michigan through a series of Community Conversations and one-on-one interviews. These Community Conversations are based on engagement tools from The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation and are designed to take between 90 minutes …Read more »
Each fall, MCLS takes stock of the past year’s accomplishments and also focuses on the year ahead. This month, I’ll cover some strides we’ve made, share some highlights from the MCLS Board of Directors’ recent annual retreat, and preview our 2022 MCLS Annual Meeting on Nov. 29. First and foremost, we aim to deliver on our …Read more »
