The following is posted on behalf of Nancy Robertson, State Librarian, and Randy Dykhuis, MLC Executive Director. Update for Michigan libraries from Randy Dykhuis and Nancy Robertson about 1) MeLCat servers and 2) the status of NCIP: ———————————————————— 1. MeLCat servers MeLCat is run on several servers. There are two that the DCB libraries use …Read more »

MeL Databases will be getting some new databases this fall when the new contracts begin on October 1st. Gale has generously started access to their new databases early. To access the new Gale databases – Chiltons and Business & Company Resource Center – log into any Gale MeL Database through http://mel.org or via your library’s …Read more »

Nader Qaimari, InfoTrac Product Manager at Gale, has announced PowerSearch enhancements coming soon: During the week of August 13th, Gale will release a set of new features to Gale’s InfoTrac databases and the PowerSearch platform. These new features will automatically be turned on and be made available to all PowerSearch users. We are extremely excited …Read more »

Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has released a white paper on ILL written by Anne K. Beaubien, Director, Cooperative Access Services, University of Michigan Library. The paper analyzes trends in ILL activity in US academic and research libraries over the past two decades. One trend that Beaubien notes in the white paper is that ILL …Read more »

As part of its LJ Industry Leaders’ Library Advocacy web page, ProQuest has put together a Library Marketing Kit. The tools in the kit are designed to help libraries promote their online resources to their patrons. The kit includes a how-to guide on marketing online resources, a digital ad that can be downloaded to a …Read more »

About 120 new full-text journals from Springer, which includes more than 16,000 records, have been added to the Wilson Select Plus database on the OCLC FirstSearch service. Wilson Select Plus is one of the full-text databases that Michigan residents receive free-of-charge through MeL Databases. The full-text is available in PDF format. Coverage is from 2004 …Read more »

The MeLCat Team is working hard to add 40 more libraries to MeLCat this summer! These 40 libraries attended day-long orientation sessions to kick off the three-month MeLCat implementation process for the summer group. Thanks to Wayne Public Library for hosting the session on June 8. Adrian Public Library Alma College Aquinas College Baker College …Read more »

Recently, we have heard questions about the ability of new libraries to join MeLCat, and we wanted to clear up any confusion. MeLCat funding and staff have not changed. We will add libraries three times a year in 2007 and 2008, as usual. Our goal is to add 120 new libraries in 2007 and so …Read more »

Judy Hauser, information media consultant for Oakland Schools in Waterford, Michigan, has an article published in the February 2007 issue of Computers in Libraries. Click here to connect to the MeL Databases link to Judy’s cover story article, “Media specialists can learn Web 2.0 tools to make school more cool; using Web 2.0 tools can …Read more »

State Librarian Nancy Robertson posted “MeL ReMix – It’s Here!” on her blog today. Nancy wrote, “Hi everyone. Tuesday was a big day for us here at the Library of Michigan, as we celebrated the debut of MeL ReMix. The Michigan eLibrary (http://www.mel.org/) is Michigan’s 24-hour anytime, anywhere library — with its newly integrated content …Read more »