Contents:
News | Executive Director | Training | Special Offers
Meet our new Library Strategist: Jenny Kobiela-MondorWe are excited to announce that Jenny Kobiela-Mondor has accepted the position of MCLS Library Strategist on the Engagement, Consulting, and Training team. Jenny most recently worked as the Assistant Director of the Eckhart Public Library in Auburn, Indiana. She brings to us much experience around community engagement, strategic thinking, disaster recovery and planning, and intellectual freedom, both in her work as an assistant library director and through her efforts with the Indiana Library Federation. Her first day with MCLS will be September 7. Welcome, Jenny!
We’re happy to announce that Aakila Mohamed-Rafih has joined us as our first-ever Technical Support Intern. This fall, Aakila will be starting her third year studying Data Science at Michigan State University. For her internship, she will be providing technical support for MCLS staff and assisting our IT team with various projects. Aakila started at MCLS in August, and she is excited about what she will learn through this internship experience. Welcome, Aakila!
Open Education Network (OEN) opportunities for MCLS member librariesAs shared in our May 2021 eNewsletter, MCLS joined the Open Education Network (OEN) as a consortial member effective July 1. A recognized leader in helping academic institutions advocate and advance open educational resources at their colleges and universities, OEN utilizes a proven program to engage with faculty in the review and development of open education textbooks. Our consortial membership allows MCLS to stay current with open education efforts and offers multiple benefits to MCLS academic member libraries, including an option to join OEN as an individual Allied member at a deeply discounted rate. In addition, MCLS is offering a limited number of sponsorships to encourage OEN Allied membership and support open education initiatives at campuses across Indiana and Michigan.
MCLS will host an informational webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2-3pm Eastern (1-2pm Central) to help libraries learn more. The session will introduce the MCLS OEN consortial membership and outline the opportunities available to MCLS members. Both MCLS & OEN staff will be present to share information and answer questions.
On Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, library staff from around the state of Michigan will gather virtually on Zoom for Libraries Engaging Appreciatively for Positive Change (LEAP) 2021! This kick-off event is a continuation of our partnership with the Library of Michigan and our shared Michigan Libraries Engage project and will introduce up to 100 more participants to Appreciative Inquiry and how to use it for community engagement.
Watch the email lists for upcoming information. Registration opening soon!
Editor’s note: this month’s Notes from the Executive Director is a collaboration with Biz Gallo, Rick Adler, and Chelsea Denault, and serves as a chance to introduce our readers to some people and projects making a difference in libraries in Michigan. Read on to learn more about Biz, Rick, and Chelsea.
Caring for and providing access to digital collections is not a new challenge for libraries – the American Library Association and others have been providing guidance on digital collections stewardship for well over a decade – but knowing where and how to start planning for robust digital materials can be daunting. Good digital collections management has many elements and often requires specialized knowledge and vocabulary. What's the best way for institutions to start on this important path without feeling like they need to make the journey alone?
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.
The technology systems that libraries use can inadvertently create barriers to students and faculty connecting with important content. Having to navigate confusing link resolver menus, hitting dead ends due to OpenURL errors, and being unaware of available Open Access content are all common factors that can derail the research process. The result can be wasted researcher time, unnecessary library help desk and ILL requests, and general user dissatisfaction with library services.
LibKey, a new, AI-powered linking technology from Third Iron, creates fast, reliable, and context-aware linking that avoids these problems. LibKey delivers one-click access to millions of articles and is more reliable than OpenURL.
Additionally, LibKey is Open Access aware, linking to Open Access (OA) content even if the journal is not listed in your holdings report. By linking users to as much available content as possible, LibKey is a uniquely valuable tool for libraries having to cope with budget challenges, ensuring seamless access to as much full text as possible from any point of discovery.
For a quote or more information, contact Chrystal Pickell at (800) 530-9019 ext 401 or services@mcls.org.
With just one simple click, library patrons will find PDF versions of current and historical issues of Morningstar’s core newsletters spanning mutual funds, stocks, and exchange-traded funds. Morningstar’s editors provide investors with specific, actionable investment ideas to help them meet their financial goals. New issues will post to Morningstar Investment Research Center as soon as they are sent to the printer, allowing library users to access new research and ideas up to two weeks before printed versions of these newsletters would arrive in their mailboxes at home.
The titles included in the module are FundInvestor, StockInvestor, ETFInvestor, and Dividend Investor.
If you’re interested in adding this feature to your subscription contact Chrystal Pickell at (800) 530-9019 ext 401 or services@mcls.org.
Think ScienceDirect only has journal articles? Think again! ScienceDirect offers knowledge in a variety of formats, from introductory encyclopedia chapters to essential books to advanced journal articles. ScienceDirect provides access to more than 42,000 digital books that help researchers and students gain the insights they need to get ahead. These books are seamlessly interlinked alongside journals to support an uninterrupted research workflow. They are DRM-free with unlimited usage.
At a recent informational webinar, Elsevier staff outlined the value of ScienceDirect eBooks for students and researchers. You can view that video presentation now.
Special pricing is available to MCLS members. To learn more, or to request a quote, contact Group Purchasing at (800) 530-9019 ext 401 or services@mcls.org.
For K-12 students to succeed, teachers must be successful first. Gale In Context: for K-12 Educators Unlimited can help. Building on the foundation of Gale in Context, this resource is a collaboration and lesson planning tool that enables K-12 educators to find and personalize digital learning content, plan learning activities that work well for all learners, and provide equity for all students.
Gale in Context: for K-12 Educators Unlimited gives K-12 librarians a new and unique way to merge quality, curriculum-aligned content with related lesson plans and instructional tools. Winning the ISTE Best in Show both in 2019 and 2020, Gale in Context: for K-12 Educators Unlimited is putting library resources front and center. The Gale in Context: for K-12 Educators Unlimited package includes unlimited and simultaneous access to 10 Gale Databases!
Want to explore this package? Check out a trial for MCLS members.
Gale is offering discounts for MCLS members. To take advantage of special summer discounts, contact Group Purchasing at (800) 530-9019 ext 401 or services@mcls.org for a quote and information on a demonstration.
PebbleGo is packed with informational articles, ready-made activities, and literacy supports for students of all abilities. This web-based digital research platform has full audio accommodations, citation tools, and highlighted text and is accessible across many platforms. Teach foundational concepts, increase understanding, foster independence, and more with PebbleGo, PebbleGo Next, and the many PebbleGo modules.
For a list of available modules or a quote, contact us at (800) 530-9019 ext 401 or services@mcls.org.
