Contents: Executive Director | News | Training | Special Offers | Vendor and Product News | MeL
MCLS began work on a strategic plan last year, and I’m pleased to share the basics of our emerging 2025-2028 plan this month. Our strategic plan is a flexible, living document we can adapt as rapid change for libraries and their users continues. We used a strengths-based process to create our plan based on input we gathered earlier this year from member libraries and other stakeholders. As we start to roadmap our plan, the MCLS staff is paying careful attention to balancing existing priorities and potential new ones we’ve identified from the input we gathered. I’ve also asked the MCLS Board of Directors to consider how their governance and vision-setting work will intersect with our plan over the next three years.
Here are the steps we took to get to our plan:
Welcome, new MCLS member libraries!
MCLS is pleased to welcome the following members to our community:
MCLS welcomes new staff on Sept. 3 September 2024 begins a new chapter for the MCLS eLicensing and Collection Resources (eLCR) team with Sarah Beaubien taking the helm as the eLCR Manager. Her extensive library expertise encompasses management, budget oversight, collections, scholarly communication, instruction, user services, library facilities, and pandemic planning. Stephanie Davis will continue in her role as Associate Director at MCLS until her retirement on Nov. 1. During the interim, Stephanie will support Sarah as she transitions into her new role. Read the full announcement here.
MCLS is also excited to announce the newest addition to our IT department, Michael Troup, who joins us as Systems Administrator. A graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville with a B.S. in Computer Science, Michael comes to MCLS with experience in school IT support.
Please join us in welcoming Michael to the MCLS IT department and Sarah to the eLCR team!
Join us for a Virtual Dialogue on employee onboarding The onboarding of a new employee can and should be SO much more than signing paperwork and one week of training. By viewing onboarding as a process over time and planning with purpose, libraries and other workplaces can create positive experiences that lead to more satisfied staff and higher retention.
Library staff across Indiana and Michigan—from all library types and roles—are invited to a Virtual Dialogue on Thursday, Sept. 19, 10:30 a.m. to noon Eastern (9:30-11 a.m. Central). The MCLS Engagement, Consulting, and Training Team will guide a conversation about intentionality in staff onboarding.
This is NOT a webinar, but rather a chance to come together with other library staff from across our two-state region to share your strategies, insights, and experiences with each other. Please plan to have your microphone enabled and camera on to participate in the dialogue.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our team at engagement@mcls.org. We look forward to connecting with you!
TALK conference appearances and toolkit updatesWith the end of the IMLS grant on July 31 marking TALK a service of MCLS, we are working diligently to both promote the TALK: Text and Learn for Kindergarten service nationally and ensure subscribing libraries have all the tools needed to bring TALK to their communities.
Our first conference stop this fall is ARSL in Springfield, MA. Stop by exhibitor booth #41 to learn more about TALK or to say hello! TALK will also be part of the MCLS conference booths at MLA in October and ILF in November. If you are a current TALK library, we will have special swag waiting for you!
In addition, we recently updated the toolkits and promotional materials in the TALK Google drive and have expanded access to them on the TALK website. Per request from many libraries, we also added template links to newly designed materials in Canva! Check back often as we continue to add and update toolkit materials.
If you have any questions or would like a TALK demo, please reach out to us at talkhelp@mcls.org.
TALK was made possible by the Ypsilanti District Library in partnership with the Library of Michigan and the the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Learn more...
ConsortiaManager CornerThis month we are sharing a helpful tip related to invoicing. For some libraries, it is important that each renewed subscription has a separate invoice. In ConsortiaManager, when you have multiple products to renew, selecting all products and placing a single order will generate a single invoice and list all the products renewed on that one invoice.
If you need to divide up the invoices by vendor or by product, order each product individually. Each time you click “Place Order”, the system generates a single invoice. Instructions on this process are available in the ConsortiaManager shopping basket.
New semester of training workshops is now available! Visit the MCLS Store for the full summer/fall 2024 semester of training workshops and to see all workshops currently open for registration!
Questions? Contact Gwen at training@mcls.org or 517-220-9950.
New Essential Workplace Skills self-paced tutorial open for registrationA new Essential Workplace Skills self-paced tutorial is now open and ready for registration! This tutorial, Introduction to Writing Skills for Librarians taught by MCLS Library Strategist Jenny Kobiela-Mondor, includes writing skills relevant for all library staff.
Course Description: Effective and appropriate written communication is important for much of the work we do in libraries, but it doesn’t always come naturally. Proper writing can save time, avoid confusion, and improve your relationship with coworkers and library patrons. Knowing what to write, how to write it, and how to avoid common mistakes will help make your library run more smoothly. This course will help you identify common writing styles used in the workplace, plan and streamline your writing, avoid common mistakes and pitfalls, and edit and proofread effectively.
The tutorial is open for registration now, and like all of our Essential Workplace Skills self-paced tutorials, it is free for all staff of MCLS member libraries! It also counts toward the MCLS Certificate of Library Staff Development in Essential Workplace Skills—read more and apply here.
Questions? Contact Gwen at training@mcls.org or 517-220-9950.
The MeL project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library of Michigan.
The MCLS website has a full list of vendor partners and a searchable product list.
New Vendor Spotlight - Public libraries have always been a centerpiece of our communities. With the evolution of technology and media consumption habits, libraries have adapted to these trends by offering a wide variety of products and community events. However, with these innovations comes a gap in community awareness of new services.
To empower libaries to fill this gap, MCLS is partnering with Nexstar Digital, a leading diversified media company that produces and distributes engaging local and national news, sports, and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms. Nexstar owns America’s largest local broadcasting group comprised of top network affiliates, with 200 owned or partner stations in 116 U.S. markets reaching 220 million people.
Nexstar Digital’s proprietary advertising technologies empower advertisers to create personalized omnichannel marketing programs that target custom audiences and improve consumer experiences across all platforms. Nexstar Digital is comprised of the Nexstar Network, The CW, The Hill, NewsNation, and BestReviews.
Through this partnership, public library members can reach a broad range of their community to share news and information about the value and importance of their local public library. Public libraries have always been a community centerpiece but changes that have come with technology have impacted public awareness of this fact. One goal of this opportunity is to bridge the gap of community awareness about the library as a valuable community hub and all the rich resources it has to offer.
A webinar outlining how libraries of any size in both IN and MI can participate in this awareness and outreach offer is scheduled for Sept. 25 at 11 a.m. Eastern (10 a.m. Central). Register below to receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
For a quote or more information, please contact our team at services@mcls.org or 517-939-1382.
Special offer from NewspaperArchiveWith NewspaperArchive, current and new subscribers are eligible for discounts through MCLS. We are seeking eleven member libraries to subscribe or renew through MCLS to maximize discounts. You can view a demonstration of the NewspaperArchive database here and a publication title list here.
Request a demo or pricing for the NewspaperArchive collection(s) of your choice: Indiana Collection, Michigan Collection, IN & MI Collection, U.S. Collection, or the Global Collection by contacting MCLS eLicensing and Collection Resources at services@mcls.org or 517-939-1382.
Visit the eResources page of the MCLS website for a full list of vendor partners and a searchable product list.
New Vendor: Rock’s BackpagesMCLS is pleased to announce its new vendor partnership with Rock’s Backpages. The world's biggest archive of music journalism and pop writing of the last 60 years, Rock’s Backpages possess a unique space in the world of eResources, offering users access to an archive of content about music and popular culture. It contains a library of primary source full text articles, featuring music greats like ABBA and Zappa. Over 800 audio interviews with music legends like Jimi Hendrix provide an added dimension to the resource. Rock’s Backpages covers all popular-music genres from rockabilly to hip hop, R&B, country, and electronica (EDM).
Discounted pricing for MCLS members makes this resource an affordable option for libraries and has proved invaluable to students and enthusiasts not only of popular music but of journalism, social history, cultural studies, American studies, history, and media studies. Rock's Backpages is also increasingly popular with public libraries as an engaging resource for patrons of all ages.
For more information or to request a trial, reach out to MCLS eLicensing and Collection Resources at services@mcls.org or 517-939-1382.
Contact MCLS to stock up on discounted supplies As a new school year begins, it is a good time to stock up on supplies. MCLS partners with a variety of vendors to provide libraries with product discounts. Through the MCLS partnerships with Barcodes Inc., Bowker, Brodart, Demco, Kapco, and The Library Store, you can fill your library's office and technology supply needs along with learning materials, furniture, and equipment.
Learn more about each vendor and their offerings on the MCLS vendor web page. For the discount codes, reach out to MCLS eLicensing and Collection Resources at services@mcls.org or 517-939-1382.
The MeL project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library of Michigan.
Welcome back, MeLCat librariesMeLCat welcomes back all of the schools that suspended participation for the summer! Make sure to check the MeLCat Participating Libraries list for the most current status.
Questions? Contact us at melcathelp@mcls.org.
