Contents:
News | Executive Director | Training | Special Offers | MeL | RIDES
Michigan public innovators cohort announcedOver 50 Michigan library staff will be trained in the framework of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. Through a partnership with the Library of Michigan and LSTA funding, this ongoing initiative has already trained over 100 Michigan library staff since March 2016. This new cohort will attend a Public Innovators Lab in Lansing in November 2017 and receive 18 months of coaching.
Read more>>
Fortune cookies are fun, but don't leave your library's future up to chance: MCLS has your recipe for success!It's almost time for fall conferences! The Michigan Library Association (MLA) Annual Conference is in Lansing from Oct. 18-20, and MCLS will be at booth #1. Then the Indiana Library Federation (ILF) Annual Conference is in Indianapolis soon after, Nov. 13-15, and we'll be at booth #63. Stop by and say "Hi" to MCLS staff!
Tell us what services you'd like to hear about and receive a fortune cookie, with a chance to win a free Training Workshop or a full-size candy bar! Libraries who aren't current members of MCLS can be entered into a drawing for a one-year free membership. We'll also be giving out cookie recipes, offering a selfie station, and much more fun. We look forward to seeing you in either Lansing or Indianapolis!
Mark your calendars for the MCLS Annual Membership Meeting to take place from 10-11am Eastern (9-10am Central) on Friday, Nov 17, 2017. This year's membership meeting will be held online using Zoom online meeting software and will feature reports from MCLS President Eva Davis, Executive Director Randy Dykhuis, and MCLS Treasurer (and Audit Committee Chair) Scott Garrison. There is no cost to attend. All you need to do is go to: https://zoom.us/j/643941454 just prior to the meeting start time to view.
If you have any questions regarding this meeting, please contact Heather Ladiski at ladiskih@mcls.org.
Linked data for libraries users group: First virtual meetingAs a result of a successful Linked Data Summit held in March 2017, MCLS is facilitating the formation of a multi-state Linked Data for Libraries Users Group. The purpose of the group will be to discuss the latest developments in Linked Data as it affects libraries, share experiences, explore new products, and raise awareness.
An initial virtual meeting of the group will be held on October 4 at 11am Eastern (10am Central) to discuss the results of the participation survey and set a course for action.
Information on joining the organizational meeting>>
By an overwhelming majority vote, our member representatives elected the proposed slate of new and returning board members.
The elected slate includes:
These directors will attend a planning retreat with the current board scheduled for Nov 2-3, 2017 and will serve a term that runs from January 2018 to December 2020.
Member representatives have also approved the by-laws amendments to make the Indiana State Librarian a permanent member of the MCLS Board of Directors. These changes will take place immediately.
In September, MCLS collaborated with Michigan Library Cooperative Directors Association, Library of Michigan, Michigan Academic Library Association (MiALA), and Michigan Library Association (MLA) to offer two programs on safety and security in libraries. Programs were held in Gaylord on September 6, and in Dearborn on September 7 with a total of 160 participants. The speakers offered us much to think about, and some practical tools for making our libraries safer spaces for both our staff and our patrons.
Check out photos of the days on our Facebook page>>
Our next online coffee and chat with MCLS Executive Director Randy Dykhuis will be Friday, October 13, at 9am Eastern (8am Central). This is an open chat, a chance to ask Randy any questions you have and talk about what MCLS can do for you, our members. No need to register; just follow the steps on our webpage to go to the Zoom meeting!
Get instructions on setting up Zoom on your computer and logging into the chat>>
Accessibility barriers to library servicesJoin us on October 19 at 2pm Eastern (1pm Central) for our Third Thursday Twitter chat. This month's topic is "Accessibility barriers to library services." Special guest Christina C. Wray, Digital Learning & Engagement Librarian at the John C. Hitt Library, University of Central Florida, will host the discussion. Use the hashtag #MCLSchat.
New to Twitter? Here are instructions.
Did you miss our September chat on partnering outside the box? We archived it for you.
It’s not very often that I consider a workshop a success when speakers get multiple critical comments. But such was the case with the program we co-sponsored on September 7. Every year MCLS joins with the Cooperative Directors Association, Library of Michigan, Michigan Academic Library Association, and Michigan Library Association to present a program on a topic of timely interest. This year’s program was called “Creating A Culture of Security & Safety in Your Library” and featured noted library security expert Steve Albrecht. We held the program in two locations. On September 6, Albrecht did a four-hour session in Gaylord, and the following day, he repeated the program in a three-hour time slot at Dearborn Public Library. At the program in Dearborn, we had two additional speakers: Jodie Layne, Founder and Director of Safer Spaces, a nonprofit in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Eva Davis, Director at Canton Public Library in Canton, Michigan, a western Detroit suburb.
In July, we launched our new registration system through our website. Participants have now been registering for training workshops through the MCLS Store for about three months. Like any new system, there have been some challenges to work through, but overall it seems to have created a more user-friendly format and to be a successful change. We hope you've had a chance to look at the Store and perhaps check out what new workshops are coming up. As always, if you have ANY trouble registering, contact us at training@mcls.org or 800-530-9019 ext 404, and Jan or Gwen will be happy to help. We can only help with challenges we know about!
Michigan history with MeL, Oct 25 (online)
For more information, or to see our whole semester of workshops, visit our upcoming workshops and events page. If you have any questions, please contact training@mcls.org.
MCLS and our vendor partners are offering you, our members, open enrollment for featured eBook packages and eJournal packages. Choose from over 15 collections.
Take advantage of these offers before they expire! For more information or to request a quote, please contact Chrystal Babbitt and Megan Bauerle at services@mcls.org or 800-530-9019 ext 401.
Have you been reading the Making MeLCat Manageable emails? This series of short, informational articles have been posted monthly to the MeLCat email list.
View archived emails on the MeLCat wiki – http://mcls.org/makingmelcatmanageable – using the normal wiki username and password to access.
If you have a suggestion for a new topic, contact melcathelp@mcls.org.
MeLCat questions and comments should be sent to melcathelp@mcls.org.
The MeL project is funded by the Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) via the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library of Michigan, part of the Michigan Department of Education. Additional funding is provided by the State of Michigan.
MCLS convened a Task Force of twelve representatives from RIDES-participating libraries. This group has worked with staff to identify and hire a Physical Delivery Consultant to review the existing delivery infrastructure, and make recommendations for improvement. The contracted consultant has begun gathering and reviewing information, and has plans to interview a selected group of users.
In December a broad survey will be conducted to provide a more comprehensive look at how RIDES is perceived by all users. The survey will focus on levels of satisfaction, as well as: patron perceptions, integration with local delivery services, reliability, and other service issues. We encourage everyone to complete the survey as honestly and fully as possible. Once the survey is live, information on accessing it will be shared via the RIDES email list.
RIDES questions and comments should be sent to the RIDES Assistance form.
