In preparation for MLC’s special program “Open Source, Open Libraries,” we polled the lists a couple months ago asking for information on open source software currently in use in Michigan libraries.  The list of the responses is now compiled on the Open Source page on the Michigan Libraries Wiki at: http://mlcnet.org/wiki/index.php/Open_Source Please feel free to …Read more »

As an extension of its digitization project begun in 2006 with the New York Times and the Washington Post, Google announced yesterday that a number of publishers will give Google access to their historical newspaper content. Notably, ProQuest will give Google access to content from among the 10,000+ newspaper titles in its vault. The microfilms …Read more »

The Michigan Library Consortium (MLC) is thrilled to announce that Branch District Library is our first Michigan Evergreen library to migrate to the open-source Evergreen software. Their new catalog is part of Michigan Evergreen, Michigan’s open-source ILS project. Migrations for the remaining Michigan Evergreen pilot libraries are scheduled for this fall: Grand Rapids Public Library …Read more »

MLC staff enjoyed “Take Your Daughter to Work Day” today. Here are some photos of the volunteer daughters who showed up at MLC to help out!

The Michigan Library Association (MLA) Intellectual Freedom Committee and the MLA Marketing and PR Roundtable are offering a Spring workshop, “Porn, Policies and Public Relations,” in two locations: Friday, April 11, 2008, Farmington Community Library Friday, April 18, 2008, University Center, Gaylord Click on the links above for descriptions. To register, see MLA’s Registration web …Read more »

There are three Michigan librarians on the 2008 Library Journal Movers & Shakers list! Evette Atkin from Michigan Library Consortium “Multitalented” Steven Bowers from DALNET “Expanding OPACs” Marcia Mardis from Wayne State University “Push Technology” Congratulations all!

See today’s Detroit Free Press (March 4, 2008) for the article, “Michiganders make a living, meet and study in ‘Second Life’,” featuring MLC’s Evette Atkin and MLC’s Second Life building. [Photo by Dave Trumpie of Trumpie Photography, Lansing.]

Please see the following Awards announcement, posted on behalf of the Rethinking Resource Sharing Innovation Awards Committee: The Rethinking Resource Sharing Initiative was started to advocate for a complete rethink of the way libraries conduct resource sharing in the context of the global internet revolution. In order to showcase resource sharing innovation, the Rethinking Resource …Read more »

The University of Michigan announced the digitization of the millionth book this weekend. Most of the million volumes are products of the Michigan Digitization Project, a partnership with Google to digitize the entire U-M collection. Congrats U of M Library! One million down and 6.5 million to go!

Congratulations to Joan Elmouchi and her staff! Library Journal has named Chelsea District Library (McKune Memorial) the “Best Small Library in America.” It’s great to see a Michigan library win this honor! The press release notes: “CDL, which serves over 14,000 residents of the Chelsea District, made up of the city of Chelsea, and the …Read more »