Contents:
Executive Director | News | Training | Special Offers | RIDES
I’m taking a pause this month to share that we at MCLS continue to hear loud and clear how hard things are for many in libraries across our region, and that we’re here to help however we can. Book challenges and other intellectual freedom issues, enrollment declines and other things driving budget problems, staff and leadership turnover, and libraries and communities feeling like they need more support, connection, and reinvigoration all have us looking for ways to help and support you. To repeat: we want to serve and support you the best we possibly can. We continue listening as we prepare for our strategic planning process in 2023. In addition to staying connected to each other, please also stay connected with us and give us input and feedback, anytime.
Sometimes all it takes is a simple question for us to find a way to do something. I’ll give a recent example in just a moment. I also want to share a few recent steps we’ve taken to continue providing the high-quality service you expect from MCLS.
MCLS membership renewal time is approachingMCLS is sending out a membership renewal email reminder to key contacts (directors, billing contacts, and primary contacts) in early May for schools and early June for all other libraries. This email offers an opportunity to respond with any changes to your membership and to provide updated contact information ahead of our July 1 renewal date. Invoices will be generated and emailed to your MCLS billing contact in mid-May for schools and mid-June for all other libraries.
If your library has had a recent change in director or your billing contact has changed, please contact us at membership@mcls.org.
Key library staff can view your library’s Member Account Online (MAO) through our MCLS portal. To request an online account, email membership@mcls.org. If you already have an account but have forgotten your password, you can click the “Forget your User ID or password” button on the login page to receive updated information via email.
If you are from a library in Michigan or Indiana and would like to become an MCLS member, please fill out the membership application on our website. Not sure if your library is an MCLS member? You can check out our list of 648 members here!
Please email any questions to Gwen at membership@mcls.org or call her at 517-939-1388.
Thank you so much for being part of MCLS!
Looking for presenters for your staff in-service day? MCLS can help!If your staff development plan includes in-service days, MCLS can bring half-day or full-day training to you. Our customized staff day trainings apply to staff at multiple levels of the organization. We offer a wide variety of topics and can even facilitate personalized discussions on topics important to you and your staff.
Contact our Engagement, Consulting, & Training team at engagement@mcls.org for more information and a price quote. Remember that MCLS member libraries receive a deeply reduced rate!
Read more about topics we currently offer>>
Linked Data Users Group hosting Wikidata Edit-a-thon on local theatre arts organizations April 17-21Join the Linked Data Users Group of the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS) for a free, semi-synchronous, week-long virtual event that explores Wikidata. No prior experience is necessary! Project staff will provide you with everything you need to create and edit Wikidata entities.
In this Edit-a-thon, we will focus on descriptions of local community theatre and performing arts organizations. Participants may create Wikidata entries for their favorite local organizations or create and edit entries for organizations provided by the Edit-a-thon staff.
These events are free to all and will take place via Zoom; however, you must register in advance. Join for either event and edit during the week as much as you'd like. We will provide instructions, tools, data sources, and an optional Slack channel for chat. If you have questions, please contact LDUG steering committee chair Marianne Swierenga at marianne.swierenga@wmich.edu.
MCLS Spring eResources Meetings: May 5 (academic/medical) and May 12 (public/K-12)We’re adding a second Spring eResources Meeting this year! As usual, we’ll host an event for our academic and medical libraries. New this year is an event for our public and K-12 member libraries. Both online meetings feature visits by vendors and a virtual dialogue among members. Details of the agenda are still in development and will be shared via MCLS listservs and outlined in the May newsletter.
Plan to join the meeting that fits your library type. Basic information and registration links are below. Once registered, you’ll receive an email with Zoom access information.
Connect with other library staff around big-picture thinking at our May Virtual DialogueGather with staff of Midwest Collaborative for Library Services, librarians, and library workers from around Indiana and Michigan for our next Virtual Dialogue on Thursday, May 11 from 10:30am-noon Eastern (9:30-11am Central). Come learn and share with us as we discuss big-picture thinking and how it relates to a growth mindset. Registration is open now on our website!
MCLS’s Virtual Dialogues aren’t webinars or workshops; instead, they are opportunities for library staff at all levels and from all library types to talk about issues that are important to them. We will spend time sharing our thoughts, ideas, and insights with other participants as we connect and engage.
Future dates are July 11, Sept. 14, and Nov. 8. All Dialogues are at 10:30am Eastern (9:30am Central), except for the July dialogue, which is at 7pm Eastern (6pm Central). If mornings have been difficult for you to attend, we hope you’ll join us this summer!
ConsortiaManager refresh training April 13With the busy July renewal season around the corner, it’s time for a ConsortiaManager refresh.
Join MCLS staff for a short review of CM functionality on Thursday, April 13 from 11:30am-noon Eastern (10:30-11am Central). The webinar will take place in Zoom and will be recorded. An email with Zoom access will be sent to all registrants.
Library staff from Indiana and Michigan earn MCLS Cataloging Certificates Join us in congratulating our most recent recipients of the MCLS Certificate of Library Staff Development: Cataloging!
Basic Cataloging Certificate
Advanced Cataloging Certificate
Are you interested in receiving your MCLS Cataloging Certificate? To learn about requirements and access the link for our online Application form, visit our website. To see a list of our cataloging workshops currently available for registration, visit the MCLS store. Questions? Contact Gwen at training@mcls.org or 517-220-9950.
For more information or to see all upcoming workshops, visit our workshop and event registration page. If you have any questions, please contact us at training@mcls.org.
Visit the eResources page of the MCLS website for a full list of vendor partners and products.
Discover Stories in the Cloud, a custom Dial-a-Story service for librariesStories in the Cloud offers alternate ways to engage users through stories and other enjoyable content. With affordable rates and no set up fees, Stories in the Cloud makes it easy for your library to offer a custom, private label Dial-A-Story service.
MCLS members receive a 30% discount and a special welcome package which includes a studio-quality microphone to record stories and 500 printed cards to market the service. In addition:
To request a quote or learn more, contact MCLS Group Purchasing at services@mcls.org or 517-939-1382.
Beanstack easily creates online reading challengesWhether you’re a school, a public library, or an institution looking for a fun, engaging way to motivate people of all ages to read more, Beanstack is your solution. You can create reading challenges for Read Across America, summer reading, Banned Books Week, and more. With a new streamlined admin K-12 dashboard, it's easier than ever to manage and create reading challenges.
To request a quote or learn more, contact MCLS Group Purchasing at services@mcls.org or 517-939-1382.
Enhance your children's collection with 1,100+ TumbleBook Library titlesThe TumbleBook Library Collection includes licensed titles from children's book publishers such as Simon & Schuster, Chronicle Books, Candlewick Press, Charlesbridge Press, Walker & Company, Annick Press, Orca Books, Lerner Books, and HarperCollins Publishers, among others.
Your patrons will find 1,100 titles including 360 TumbleBooks, 200 Chapter Books, 80 non-fiction books, 89 Graphic Novels, and much more! Plus, there are hundreds of TumbleQuizzes and other resources for library and school subscriptions. The TumbleBookLibrary Partnership Program allows public libraries to work with their local school communities to negotiate the most economical subscription options available.
For a trial and more information, contact Group Purchasing at services@mcls.org or 517-939-1382.
For more than 15 years Marketline Advantage has supported the research needs of investment banks, corporations, professional services firms, and academia with a unique mix of company, industry, country, city, and financial data for every major industry and marketplace. This real world research tool covers major companies, industries, countries, and cities worldwide, helping prepare students for work in industry, public policy, and the nonprofit sector.
For a trial and more information, contact Group Purchasing at services@mcls.org or 517-939-1382.
Learn about Third Iron’s LibKey to manage resource access on April 4 Join Third Iron Co-founder and CEO Kendall Bartsch to learn how LibKey employs article-level intelligence to identify which articles in hybrid journals are Open Access. LibKey enables libraries to reliably link to the Open Access articles missed in discovery searches and sent to ILL from databases. It also helps library users navigate article access easily by providing article level results.
Find out more at the webinar on Tuesday, April 4 from 1-2pm Eastern (Noon-1pm Central). Register today!
RIDES pre-renewal pricing information will be emailed to direct delivery libraries in April.
Reach out to us via the RIDES Assistance Form.
