Staff from Ypsilanti District Library (YDL) and MCLS will promote Text and Learn for Kindergarten (TALK) at the Public Library Association (PLA) 2024 conference April 2-5 in Columbus, OH. Based on Every Child Ready to Read, TALK is a text messaging service that prompts parents and caregivers to talk, sing, read, write, and play with …Read more »
The Michigan Digital Preservation Network (MDPN), a program of MCLS, is making great progress toward establishing the first production LOCKSS 2.0 network thanks to efforts from MDPN Coordinator Chelsea Denault, MDPN’s members, and the extended LOCKSS community. This month I’ll offer a few updates on this impactful work that will benefit libraries, museums, archives, historical …Read more »
This month I’ll recap the spring 2023 Think Space program from the Michigan Library Association (MLA), which featured journalist Ron French from Bridge Michigan, lobbyist Bob DeVries from GCSI, pollster Bernie Porn from EPIC-MRA, former politician Arlan Meekhof, and passionate librarians including the award-winning Amanda Jones from Louisiana. The speakers and participants offered an array …Read more »
Dr. Emily Knox (whose books include Book Banning In 21st Century America and Foundations of Intellectual Freedom) led a Feb. 8 workshop at Western Michigan University (WMU) that was a great opportunity for academic, public, and school library professionals to connect with library and information theory and practice, and one another. Dr. Knox’s workshop built …Read more »
I’m taking a pause this month to share that we at MCLS continue to hear loud and clear how hard things are for many in libraries across our region, and that we’re here to help however we can. Book challenges and other intellectual freedom issues, enrollment declines and other things driving budget problems, staff and …Read more »
This month, I’ll reflect on Dr. Emily Knox’s thought-provoking Feb. 7 lecture on intellectual freedom, book banning, and more that MCLS co-sponsored with Western Michigan University (WMU). Dr. Knox’s books include Book Banning In 21st Century America and Foundations of Intellectual Freedom. Her events drew a wide audience of academic, public, and school librarians and …Read more »
Following Kristin Fontichiaro’s recent presentation on mis- and disinformation, as Dr. Emily Knox’s lecture at WMU (and livestream) and workshop on intellectual freedom and book challenges approach on Feb. 7-8, and as I talk with libraries, I continue thinking a lot about diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and accessibility (DEIJA)—especially the pushback against these principles …Read more »
In early 2023, MCLS will co-sponsor presentations by Kristin Fontichiaro of the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor’s School of Information and Dr. Emily Knox of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s School of Information Sciences, on understanding and addressing misinformation, disinformation, and intellectual freedom challenges. Many have noted how these issues are heavily impacting a growing number …Read more »
Each fall, MCLS takes stock of the past year’s accomplishments and also focuses on the year ahead. This month, I’ll cover some strides we’ve made, share some highlights from the MCLS Board of Directors’ recent annual retreat, and preview our 2022 MCLS Annual Meeting on Nov. 29. First and foremost, we aim to deliver on our …Read more »
This month, I’ll offer thoughts on two recent reports on libraries and collaboration: from OCLC Research in August and from an International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) task force in September. The OCLC report focuses solely on academic libraries and refers liberally to former OCLC Vice President Lorcan Dempsey’s recent work and other library and …Read more »
