Congratulations to Director Nancy Studebaker and her staff at the Niles District Library (NDL)!  MLC is pleased to announce that NDL went live on Michigan Evergreen yesterday, joining other pilot libraries, Branch District Library and Grand Rapids Public Library. The final four Michigan Evergreen pilot libraries will go live in November: Traverse Area District Library and its affiliates, Interlochen Public Library, Fife Lake Public Library and Peninsula Community Library.

As with the first two migrations, there were some minor problems to correct on the first couple days, but for the most part, the transition went smoothly.  We’re lucky to be working with Equinox and GRPL who were standing ready to work with MLC staff to fix any migration problems fairly quickly.

For the Niles launch (like the Branch launch), we had Michigan Evergreen staff at the library and at MLC to handle troubleshooting on the first day.  I spent the day working at NDL’s circ desk, while Evette Atkin stayed back at the ranch to act as “command central,” fielding Nancy’s and my calls from the front lines.  I have to admit that it was really fun to spend the day working in a public library again.  For me, one of the most enjoyable parts of working on the MIchigan Evergreen project has been the opportunity to visit public libraries and experience the real world of library service.  We’re learning a lot during the pilot phase of this project, which is going to be helpful when we open up Michigan Evergreen to new libraries next year.