In early 2023, MCLS will co-sponsor presentations by Kristin Fontichiaro of the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor’s School of Information and Dr. Emily Knox of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s School of Information Sciences, on understanding and addressing misinformation, disinformation, and intellectual freedom challenges. Many have noted how these issues are heavily impacting a growing number …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 »

This month, I’ll offer thoughts on two recent reports on libraries and collaboration: from OCLC Research in August and from an International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) task force in September. The OCLC report focuses solely on academic libraries and refers liberally to former OCLC Vice President Lorcan Dempsey’s recent work and other library and …Read more »

I’m thrilled to share that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded MCLS a grant for $242,351 for our project Demonstrating and Documenting a Statewide LOCKSS 2.0 Preservation Network for Cultural Memory Institutions, marking MCLS’s first-ever IMLS grant award as an organization. We will use these grant funds to continue building the …Read more »

MCLS invests in innovation for libraries At their May 6 meeting, the MCLS Board of Directors accepted MCLS’s FY23 budget, which includes investments we will make using some reserve funds to foster innovation and advance diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility (which we abbreviate as DEIJA) for the libraries we serve, the broader library community, …Read more »

Addressing RIDES pricing equity throughout Michigan We at MCLS have heard concerns regarding RIDES (Regional Interlibrary DElivery Service, the statewide library courier service in Michigan which MCLS facilitates) pricing equity for libraries in Michigan’s lower (LP) and upper (UP) peninsulas for some time, and I’m happy to share that our staff has worked hard this …Read more »

We’re hiring a Marketing and Communication Coordinator! If you’re a marketing professional who dreams of being part of an innovative, growth-minded organization, this position is just the one for you! MCLS is looking for a creative, highly-motivated, and experienced candidate to establish, carry out, and continually improve our digital and print marketing and communication strategy. …Read more »

Like me, you may be trying to balance living in a moment to be thankful, being cautious, reflecting as an exhausting 2020 draws to a close, and hoping for a better 2021. While the past several months may have been among the most challenging of our lives, they have also shown us just how adaptable, …Read more »

It’s my last newsletter article. Come January, for the first time in 36 years, I won’t have any official affiliation with a library science program, a library, a library vendor, or a consortium. How odd is that? My consortium director career started in August 1995 when I became Executive Director for the Michigan Library Consortium. …Read more »

After a thorough process, which included a nationwide search, two rounds of interviews, and feedback from staff and members, the MCLS Board of Directors was not able to successfully fill the Executive Director position. “Naturally, we are disappointed with the outcome of this search,” said Eva Davis, MCLS Board President. “We remain committed to recruiting …Read more »