Congratulations to Mark Szidik, MLC tech wizard extraordinaire, and his wife Michelle on the birth of their baby daughter Meghan Grace. Meghan arrived early Saturday morning and weighed in at 4 lbs. 10 oz. Mother, daughter, and father are all doing fine.
2 comments November 30th, 2005
At their November 18 meeting, the MLC Board of Directors passed a resolution in support of Google’s library digitization and Book Search project, and I couldn’t be prouder. As far as I know, MLC is the first library organization or consortium to endorse Google’s work. We strongly believe that this project will make it a lot easier for people to find their way to books and other library materials that otherwise remain hidden from view. That’s what librarians have always been about. Book Search, in fact, helps us stride toward Ranganathan’s goals of library service. With Book Search, we come much closer to being able to offer each reader his or her book. Our hat is off to Google. Good job, Google. Good job, MLC Board.
2 comments November 23rd, 2005
We have finally caught up enough to post some comments on the MLA and MAME conferences! As always, it is fun to meet our members in person and put faces with the folks we meet via email.
Grand Rapids arranged beautiful weather while we were there the week of October 24th, making strolls along the river and walks to restaurants quite pleasant – I can recommend San Chez – great tapas – (ask for Alex). The Grand Rapids Public Library renovated main branch is lovely.
Several MLC staff presented: Xan and Ruth about digitization; Anne, Louise, and Debbi on MeLCat and MeL Delivery; and Suzanne spoke about the MeL Databases.
November 10th and 11th we traveled to the other side of the state to the renovated GM Renaissance Center Marriott.
MLC introduced MLC Schools Digital Libraries, a new offer for Michigan’s K12 libraries. The collection includes eBooks and downloadable audio books developed for school use. Steve Potash, CEO of OverDrive DLR, Inc., did demonstrations in the MLC booth most of the day. Louise and Suzanne had good response to their MeL presentations. Most exciting – Karen Anderson of Charlotte Public Schools was the winner of the MLC drawing for a 128MB Rio Forge Sport digital audio player! Congratulations Karen!
1 comment November 23rd, 2005
At the end of August, 8 White Pine Library Cooperative libraries learned how to use a Web browser to add their holdings information to MeLCat. Sheila Good, Automation Specialist at White Pine, took some photos of this “pioneering” group during training and has posted them on the White Pine web site at: http://www.wplc.org/pictures/training_workshops/melcat.cfm
These 8 smaller, rural libraries do not have local circulation systems and are barcoding their materials for the first time. Using software called Web Works Quick Edit, that we are beta testing, they can find bibliographic records that match their items and add barcode, shelving location and item codes that enable them to lend their materials on MeLCat.
So, even though these libraries are smaller and in rural areas, they can now participate in MeLCat and lend and borrow materials with libraries of all types around the state. It was really exciting for me to see these libraries take this big step! What a huge gain it is for them and their patrons.
Congratulations to these libraries: Brown City, Taymouth Township, Watertown Township, Elk Township, Port Austin Township, Ogemaw District, Sebewaing Township, and Columbia Township.
1 comment November 18th, 2005
Check out Tech Scout, a blog written by a Michigan information media consultant about personal technologies. If you are a Michigan librarian or media specialist who writes a blog, MLC would like to include your blog on our blogroll. Please add a comment below with a link to your blog. Thanks!
Some of the other Michigan library blogs in our blogroll are Ann Arbor District Library, Plymouth District Library’s Teen Zone and Ancestor Research, The Fiddling Librarian, Information Literacy Land of Confusion, and River Rouge Library.
2 comments November 14th, 2005
This morning I read that Peter Drucker died yesterday. He was 95 years old, still going strong and still influencing a lot of people.
I don’t remember where I was when I first read something Drucker had written. It must have been around 1987. Somehow I had picked up a copy of “The Age of Discontinuity”, and I was just blown away by Drucker’s insight, his ability to write cleanly, and the power of his ideas. He wrote about the changes taking place in the world and the birth of the knowledge society. I think that was the first place I ever heard the term “knowledge worker.” He took on politics, too. One of the things he predicted was the coming dissolution of the U.S.S.R. because of internal rot that was then taking place. If he written that in the mid-80s it may not have been so fantastic but he wrote that somewhere around the late 60s. Nixon was still meeting Brezhnev at the time. I think about Drucker’s prediction whenever I hear politicians lauded for bringing the Soviet Union down. Twenty years before the Berlin Wall came crashing down and politicians of all ideologies were falling all over themselves to take credit, Drucker had been prescient enough to read the signs. We’ll miss that kind of clear-sighted, nondogmatic thinking.
Soon after “The Age of Discontinuity” I was reading much of what Drucker had written about mangement (although I must confess I never made it through his magnum opus: “Management.”) His writing about decentralized management and passing authority to front-line employees very much influenced my developing philosophy of management. I commend to any of his many magazine articles, books such as Management Challenges for the 21st Century or The Effective Executive, or articles about him.
However, imperfectly I practice what he taught, it doesn’t negate the profound wisdom of his words or the debt I owe him.
1 comment November 12th, 2005
One of the things I enjoy the most about my job is going out to visit libraries.
When I was a kid, we used to have home visitation every couple of years by the elders and deacons of the church. It was a solemn occasion. I hope that the visits I make to libraries around Michigan don’t inspire the same mixture of dread, apprehension, and curiosity as those visits by the representatives from the church.
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been out to Calvin College, Grand Valley State University, Aquinas College, Cornerstone University, and Grand Rapids Public Library. While common themes emerge and the questions I ask tend to be similar, every visit is unique and in some respects unpredictable. For example, who could have known that I’d find myself in a tiny, darkened ofice in the Aquinas College library, wedged between two of the liveliest librarians that I’ve met in a long time? It was dark because either Francine or Shellie didn’t want the “life-sucking fluorescent lights” turned on. Actually I think there was a good reason why we met and chatted with only a very low incandescent bulb burning, but I don’t remember what it was. In any case, I learned a lot about their library, the challenges they face, and the anticipation they have for their new library.
Or that I’d get to enjoy an improbably warm October day by walking through a new sculpture garden at Cornerstone University. All with Christian themes and all created by a local Grand Rapids artist, the sculptures were impressive and touching. I especially liked “The Fall.” Very imaginative. Quite moving. Gail’s depth of feeling for the institution was evident as she showed me around and as we talked about her library and the challenges they face.
That’s about the way it goes everywhere. In every case, I’m welcomed. I’m told what a great job MLC is doing, with special kudos to one or two specific MLC staff members. And we talk about how things are going for them, how they think MLC can serve them better, and what worries them.
That last question, what worries them, is one of my favorites. It helps me see where MLC might better serve their needs and how we can position ourselves for providing better service to them. For MLC to stay vital and to keep energized, we need to shift with the environment. When MLC was formed the environment was shifting to automate cataloging. When I started at MLC, the environment was shifting to make library consortia influential players in online purchases. Now the environment seems to be shifting again. But the signs are hard to read, and it’s hard to know exactly where we go next.
When that happens and I’m not exactly sure what’s next for MLC, I know it’s time to get out and start talking to our members. MLC exists for only one reason: to provide important and needed services to its members. And I know that when we listen, we can serve better. That’s why I make the visits.
But you aren’t required to wait for me to darken your doorway. I’d love to hear from you. All comments on our blog are read. Let me know what you worry about. Maybe MLC can help.
1 comment November 9th, 2005
OCLC has updated its Top 1000 for 2005. Top 1000 lists the works most widely held by OCLC member libraries. Each entry includes thematic sub-lists, sample cover art, “Find in a Library†links, comparisons to other lists and download files.
Add comment November 8th, 2005
Western Michigan University Libraries won the 2005 Annual Soapbox Derby! In third place was Phi Chi Theta (an academic professional business fraternity), the gold and purple car that beat the University Libraries out of second place last year. In second place was SPE (Society of Plastic Engineers), the black car with orange and yellow flames that beat the University Libraries out of first place two years ago. It was an exciting race this year with SPE and the University Libraries vying for first place. In the end, the University Libraries won a picture perfect race. Congratulations to all teams!
Add comment November 3rd, 2005
I really like Vernon District Public Library’s unique promotion for MeLCat.
The sign above the library’s entrance reads: “Over 6 million books available here. Stop in for details.â€
I’d like to hear what other Michigan libraries are doing to promote MeL Databases or MeLCat to their local communities. What’s working for your library?
Add comment November 2nd, 2005
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