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Registration is now open for a new digital literacy virtual workshop for Michigan library staff“Unlocking the Secrets of a Digital Literacy Learning Plan for Library Staff," offered by MCLS in partnership with the Library of Michigan, is designed to equip you with the tools and a process to help you build a learning plan around technology and digital literacy skills for library staff. This workshop is being offered multiple times through April and May to accommodate smaller participation limits in each session, which will allow for plenty of personal attention and lots of interactive small group activities. If you wish your library had such a learning plan in place, but you’re not sure where to start or how to organize it, then this workshop is for you!
Registration is just $15 and, because it is funded by the Library of Michigan, is only open to Michigan library staff. This workshop will only be available as live virtual instruction.
This project is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, with additional funding provided by the State of Michigan.
MCLS Virtual Dialogues for all library staffThe MCLS Virtual Dialogues will continue on Zoom on the third Friday of each month, 11am-12:30pm Eastern (10-11:30am Central). Our next gathering will be on Friday, Feb. 19. Part support group, part visioning, let’s share our thoughts and ideas as we navigate the environment we find ourselves working in right now and look towards the future. These Dialogues are open to all library staff of all levels and roles throughout our two-state Indiana and Michigan region, and beyond.
Watch the email lists for the login link and topic announcement. We look forward to seeing you!
Check out archived recordings of our past Dialogues>>
Registration is open for virtual training for library staff on foundational digital literacy topics. This virtual workshop will be offered twice in March. Class sizes are kept small to allow for personal attention and interactive activities.
The Foundations of Digital Literacy workshop is designed to help library staff gain confidence in everyday interactions with technology and is intended for participants who would like a basic introduction to digital literacy topics. Knowledge and skills taught and practiced during the workshop will include a basic understanding of hardware including internal and external components of various devices, how various types of networks function, the composition of webpages and websites, various browsers and their functionality, search engines and tips to perform an effective web search, how to evaluate search results, and information on digital privacy and cybersecurity.
At MCLS, we believe openness to changes in the information ecosystem that aim to make more information openly available to more people, at a lower cost, is simply required for libraries and the consortia that serve them. Research and scholarly work published in open access (OA), and open educational resources (OER; or as some prefer, “affordable learning” resources) lower barriers to accessing information for all libraries and their users. MCLS supports OA and OER efforts in several ways that I’ll highlight this month, as we approach Open Education Week in early March.
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.
This is a great time for MCLS members who are considering participating in JSTOR for the first time or adding new journal collections to their current JSTOR holdings. Exclusive offers available through June 30, 2021 include:
The journal collections in JSTOR include more than 12 million articles from peer-reviewed scholarly journals and literary journals, as well as research reports and primary sources from libraries’ special collections and archives. For more information or a quote, contact MCLS Group Purchasing at services@mcls.org or (800) 530-9019 ext 401.
Docuseek streams essential independent, social-issue and environmental films to colleges and universities, providing exclusive access to content from renowned leaders in documentary film distribution, including Bullfrog Films, Icarus Films, Media Storm, and more. Streaming licenses are available for single titles to entire collections, for periods ranging from one week to the Life of File.
Find out how Docuseek titles can support teaching faculty’s work in the classroom at a Thursday, Feb. 18 webinar from 2-3pm Eastern (1-2pm Central). Register today!
Ubiquity Press provides full professional hosting and services for institutional repositories, Open Access journals, eBooks, OER, and conference publications. Ubiquity repositories are cloud-based, an ideal solution for institutions that do not want the headache of hosting and maintaining a repository in-house, and a strong alternative to platforms like Elsevier Digital Commons for those preferring a more community-oriented vendor. High-quality design helps to raise the reputational profile of the institution and encourages use by faculty and students.
The platform is highly scalable and suitable for both large and small institutions, and can also run as a shared system for a group of smaller colleges. Additionally, library staff can save significant time with auto-population and automated metadata correction.
For more information or a quote, contact MCLS Group Purchasing at services@mcls.org or (800) 530-9019 ext 401.
We are looking for an energetic, creative individual to join our team as the MeL Engagement Specialist for Public Libraries. This position will play a key role in the ongoing success of the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) through the development and implementation of an interactive training program and educational engagement for public library community members.
Good news! An additional 340 RIDES totes have been purchased. This will help get extra totes to libraries as needed.
RIDES Assistance Form: mcls.org/rideshelp
