MCLS has spent 2024 changing and planning so we can empower libraries to achieve the extraordinary in 2025 and beyond. As we move from one busy year to another, read on for some changes this year and some of what we plan for the future. 

• I thank the many stakeholders who participated in our 2024 strategic planning process, including the MCLS Board of Directors. Our staff and management team are working now on initial priorities for how we foster Engagement and Collaboration, Invest in Innovation, and Strengthen and Support libraries all while ensuring Awareness and Accountability for our work. Special thanks to our Engagement, Consulting, and Training team for bringing the strategic planning expertise they practice with libraries to our own process this year. 

• Thanks to support from our IT team, our Accounting team continues to work their way through challenging change that our migration to a new accounting system in July has brought. We’re confident that change along with migrations to Bank of America and a new payroll system will result in new efficiency for libraries and our staff. Accounting Clerk Miranda Crittenden joined the MCLS staff in January 2024 and has helped us improve multiple processes in 2024. If you have questions about accounting changes and how we’re communicating them, please contact accounting@mcls.org. 

• Our IT team has also worked hard to keep our infrastructure running well, collaborating with our Shared Library Systems staff (SLS; aka the MCLS MeL team) to modernize the MeLCat server infrastructure and maintain our MeL eResource authentication, and performing a number of needed server migrations. We welcomed System Administrator Michael Troup to the IT team in September, and he is learning and growing in his role.  

• Sarah Beaubien began work as eLicensing and Collection Resources Manager in September, adapting her experience to her new role quickly to begin leading her team. Sarah is bringing new energy and ideas for how we can enhance our offerings as libraries face continuing budget pressure in uncertain times. We wished our dear colleague Stephanie Davis the very best for a well-earned retirement in November. 

• After significant progress through its IMLS grant phase, Text and Learn for Kindergarten (TALK) became an MCLS service offering this year. Our thanks to Ypsilanti District Library for conceiving TALK and working with the Library of Michigan, IMLS, and MCLS to move it forward.  

• We will welcome a new MeL Support and Training Specialist to the SLS team in January. We will also hire a Business and Operations Manager and TALK Program Coordinator in 2025 to provide key leadership and management for existing and emerging initiatives. We have begun preparing for Business Manager Janet LaCross’ retirement in 2025 after nearly 40 years of helping MCLS navigate an astonishing amount of change and evolution. 

• The Michigan Digital Preservation Network (MDPN) went live in November as the world’s first production LOCKSS 2.0 network with nodes at Capital Area District Library (in collaboration with Michigan State University), Eastern Michigan University, Northern Michigan University, Traverse Area District Library, and Western Michigan University. As part of an IMLS National Leadership Grant, MDPN is offering grants for free or subsidized storage for digital collections that can be considered at-risk or that document underrepresented communities. Awardees will also receive free one-on-one training on how to use the MDPN’s preservation service. You do not have to be an MDPN member to apply.  

• As usual, we had a busy year supporting, exhibiting, and presenting at a variety of conferences. I hope you had an opportunity to engage with our staff at one or more conferences, and we will definitely see you again in 2025. We also visit libraries as often as we can, to learn from you. 

• The MCLS Board welcomed Beth McNeil (Purdue University, Indiana Research Library Representative), Melissa Merida (Floyd County Public Library, Indiana Public Library Representative), Josh Petrusa (Butler University, Indiana Academic Library Representative), and Rima Zalghout (Arab American National Museum, Michigan Special Library Representative), succeeding Marion Frank Wilson, Portia Kapraun, Matthew Shaw, and Beth Martin, respectively. All eligible Board incumbents will continue serving in 2025. My personal thanks to President Trista Smith, Vice President Polly Boruff-Jones, Treasurer Lisa Waskin, and Secretary Mike Hawthorne for their service as Board officers in 2024. 

• At their annual retreat in November, our Board considered the relationships between its broad vision of the benefits that MCLS is to provide to libraries and our key strategic priorities. I observe the Board to have emerged with fresh energy for updating their Board Policy Manual and the MCLS bylaws, and renewing their connection with MCLS’ member libraries in 2025. I encourage you to connect with our Board members as often as you can. 

I anticipate 2025 to be another challenging year on a variety of fronts including library capacity (including budgets), artificial intelligence, the political landscape, and many more. The library community will have much to do in the coming year, and MCLS will remain right there with you as you deal with libraries’ changing realities. 

In the meantime, my colleagues and I wish you and yours a happy, healthy, and restful holiday season. I hope you’ll contact us if you have questions, ideas, or suggestions. Please reach me anytime at garrisons@mcls.org, and see you in 2025.