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The MCLS Engagement, Consulting, and Training Team continues our popular series of Virtual Dialogues on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 10:30 a.m. to noon Eastern (9:30-11 a.m. Central). During the dialogue, we will engage around the subject of accountability and taking ownership.

MCLS Virtual Dialogues are designed to provide those in the library industry opportunities to connect and engage around topics that impact the way we work. These dialogues are not workshops or webinars, but a way to engage with others in the profession through facilitated dialogue.

We look forward to connecting with you! Please plan to have your microphone enabled and camera on in order to participate. If you have any questions, please reach out to engagement@mcls.org.

Event Details

Presenters: Kate McDowell (keynote) and Thom Fladung (workshop)

Date: Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

Attendance options:

1. In-person – full program: 9:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Eastern
2. Virtual – opening remarks & keynote address: 9:45 – 11:30 a.m. Eastern

Location:
St. Joseph County Public Library Community Learning Center
305 S. Michigan St., South Bend, IN 46601
Google Maps

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Registration

Choose how to attend:

• In person (REGISTER HERE)
EXTENDED DEADLINE! Register by 5 p.m. on Sept. 25
$75 per person (includes a light breakfast, lunch, and beverages)

• Virtual (REGISTER HERE)
Register by 12 p.m. on Oct. 7
$25 per person to participate in the opening remarks and keynote live on Zoom

Registration is limited and open to anyone from an MCLS member organization. Check your membership status here. Not a member? Join today!

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Overnight Accommodations

MCLS has secured a special group rate of $149.00 USD at the following nearby hotel:

Aloft by Marriott South Bend
111 N Main St., South Bend, IN 46601
Phone: 574-288-8000
Google Maps

Check In: Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026.
Check Out: Friday, Oct. 9, 2026
Hotel reservation link

The last day to book your stay at the special group rate is Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026.

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About the Program

Agenda

Times are Eastern (local time) and subject to change.

9:15 a.m.           Registration/ light breakfast (fruit, pastries, and beverages)
10 a.m.              Opening remarks by MCLS
10:30 a.m.         Keynote: Data Storytelling in Libraries presented by Kate McDowell
11:30 a.m.         Workshop: Crisis Communication with Thom Fladung
12:30 p.m.         Lunch (taco bar, dessert, and beverages)
1:30 p.m.           Workshop: Crisis Communication with Thom Fladung
3 p.m.                Wrap-up
3:30 p.m. Experiential library tour: SJCPL (optional)

Experiential library tour

St. Joseph County Public Library is planning a unique tour experience for in-person attendees!

Learn more about the resources, services, and spaces that SJCPL’s Main Library has to offer on a staff led tour. Highlights will include:

• The Youth Services Department
• The library’s new bookmobile, The Dream Machine
• Studio 304
• A hands-on learning activity in the Local & Family History Department
• Crisis Intervention staff, including the library’s in-house social worker, will also be available to discuss how SJCPL has moved to a trauma informed approach when interacting with patrons. 

Note: tour times will be determined based on feedback from the event registration form.

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Keynote Address

Photo credit: KateMcDowell.com

Kate McDowell, author and professor at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign will present on data storytelling in libraries.

About Kate McDowell 

Professor Kate McDowell focuses on storytelling as information research, social justice storytelling, and how the history of library storytelling can enhance contemporary data storytelling. Her projects engage contexts such as public libraries, non-profit fundraising, and health misinformation in online discourse. This research takes many forms, from publications to storytelling workshops and toolkits to research roles with international coalitions and working groups. She leads the nationally-funded Data Storytelling Toolkit for Librarians project to equip libraries with narrative tools for data-informed advocacy, which has been used by over 5,000 librarians in over 50 countries so far. Her book for libraries, Critical Data Storytelling for Libraries: Crafting Ethical Narratives for Advocacy and Impact, came out in 2025. 

Read more about Kate McDowell on her website. 

Workshop: Putting Crisis Communications in Play

Photo credit: crisiscommunications.com

Thom Fladung will lead a hands-on workshop on crisis communication best practices and techniques including brainstorming key messages and participating in mock interviews, to help you prepare for any media interview or public speaking opportunity. With his practical approach to instruction and years of experience, you will walk away with pragmatic tips and best practices that you can put into play immediately to effectively communicate during a crisis.

About Thom Fladung

Thom Fladung serves as managing partner for Hennes Communications. He brings more than 33 years of daily newspaper and digital media experience to the agency, having served as a top editor at some of the nation’s largest newspapers such as the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Detroit Free Press. Over the past decade, Fladung has also played a lead role in helping newsrooms enter the digital age, including web, social media and handheld digital devices.

Thom is an expert at crafting effective, strategic messages on hard deadlines. He is also experienced at quickly evaluating, assembling and disseminating information – crisis management skills that are critically important for clients coping with reputation management issues and breaking crises. In 2017, Thom received the Communicator of the Year award from the International Association of Business Communicators.

Learn more about Thom on the Hennes Communications website.

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Special thanks to our location sponsor

MeLCat is 20! For those of you who were unable to join us at MLA last month to mark this milestone anniversary, we invite you to join us for an online celebration. 

Join the MeL team staff from the Library of Michigan and MCLS on Zoom, Thursday, Nov. 20 from 3-4 p.m. Eastern (2-3 p.m. Central). We’ll share some MeLCat stories, follow the travels of Mittens the MeLCat Mascot throughout the state, and give away MeLCat prizes. 

The MeL project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library of Michigan.

We are pleased to share that two valued MCLS team members have stepped into new roles as of Oct. 1, 2025! 

Ann Kaskinen, former MeL Engagement Specialist, K-12, is now our new TALK Program Coordinator and Laura Warren-Gross, former MeL Engagement Specialist, Public, is stepping into the role of Engagement Strategist. Due to federal funding uncertainties, the Library of Michigan made the decision not to renew its contract with MCLS for MeL eResources training. Fortunately, MCLS was preparing to expand our team in 2025, and the timing aligned perfectly to have Ann and Laura step into these new roles.  

Ann and Laura are well known to many Michigan libraries through MeL eResources training/engagement and conference presentations. In their new roles, they’ll continue to support libraries—now across Indiana, Michigan, and beyond—with even broader reach and deeper engagement. 

Read on to learn more about Ann and Laura and how they’ll continue to make a difference in the library community through MCLS. 

Ann Kaskinen, TALK Program Coordinator 

“I am excited to begin working as the new TALK Program Coordinator for MCLS, where I can support libraries focused on improving literacy for their youngest learners. I am already starting to meet many people who are passionate about connecting community organizations and families with literacy resources for 0- to 6-year-olds.” 

Ann began her career teaching high school ELA, social studies, and public speaking. After earning a library degree from CMU, she worked for 15 years as a K-12 Library-Media Specialist before joining the MCLS staff in 2019 as the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) Engagement Specialist for K-12. Ann also has experience as an ISD consultant, a teen librarian for a public library, and a government docs intern.   

In her new role, Ann is responsible for Text and Learn for Kindergarten (TALK), a service of MCLS designed for public library implementation. She coordinates demonstrations, contracts, support, TALK marketing and outreach, user community-building, and future development and strategy. As a member of the eLicensing and Collection Resources team, Ann also assists the department in providing customer service for other subscriptions through MCLS. To learn more about TALK and request a quote or demonstration, visit textandlearn.org. 

 

Laura Warren-Gross, Engagement Strategist

“I’m looking forward to building relationships with library staff in Indiana and Michigan as we continue to engage with libraries of all types.” 

Laura earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Arts in Library Media from Central Michigan University. She spent four years teaching high school English and Earth Science and 21 years as a school librarian prior to joining MCLS in 2021 as the MeL Engagement Specialist for Public Libraries. Laura participated in ALA’s Emerging Leaders program and was awarded MASL’s School Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award.  

As the new MCLS Engagement Strategist, Laura helps lead efforts to build meaningful, lasting relationships with people at all levels within the library profession. She utilizes engagement tools that combine strategic thinking with hands-on efforts to help academic, public, school, and special libraries achieve the extraordinary. If you are attending either the MLA or ILF annual conferences this fall, stop by our booth to meet her!  

The MeL project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library of Michigan. 

Get ready for the 2025 MI OER Conference: Limitless Learning, Infinite Impact at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. Registration opens July 15! 

MCLS is pleased to partner with libraries and library organizations throughout Indiana and Michigan. One of these groups is the Michigan OER Network, a collaborative team representing multiple types of libraries and educational institutions, whose shared mission is to support the fair and equitable use of open educational resources (OER) for all learners in the state. They recently published the results of the 2024 Higher Ed Capacity Survey, which provides a benchmark of Open Educational Resources (OER) initiatives across Michigan’s higher education landscape, including 2-year, 4-year, and graduate schools. One of their other major initiatives is planning and hosting the MI OER Conference.  

KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND PROGRAM
Our keynote speaker for the 2025 Conference will be Heather Blicher, Director of the Community College Consortium for OER (CCCOER) with Open Education Global. A passionate advocate for access, equity, and collaboration, Heather works to build community and empower practitioners as they drive the next wave of innovation in Open Education. Learn more about our keynote speaker, and about the conference program at mioer.org/events.

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
Funding for conference scholarships is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors. Applications will be open July 15 through Oct. 10, and more information is available on the MI OER website.

SUBSCRIBE FOR UPDATES
Sign up for the MI OER Network email list to receive updates and communicate with fellow MI OER Network members.

The MI OER Network conference planning committee includes:
Chair: Molly Ledermann, Washtenaw Community College
Stacy Anderson, Ferris State University
Kendra Lake, North Central Michigan College
Haley Laurila, Henry Ford College
Beth Martin, Lake Michigan College
Kaylynn Mortensen, Schoolcraft College
Brian Newberry, Jackson College
Ashley Rosener, Grand Valley State University
Raya Samet, University of Michigan-Dearborn
Jill Sodt, Mott Community College
Michelle Westerdale, Washtenaw Community College

Defining the Library Consortium 

Libraries today operate in complex environments, navigating evolving community expectations, and a growing set of unknowns. Whether large or small, urban or rural, all libraries share the common challenge of delivering high-quality services in a sustainable and impactful way. In this context, library consortia like the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS) are an essential tool for cooperation, connection, and collaboration—one that not only strengthens individual libraries but also advances the greater library community’s shared goals. 

A library consortium is a formal collaboration in which libraries unite to share resources, streamline services, negotiate better deals, and support each other’s missions. By working collectively, libraries can achieve goals that would be difficult or impossible to accomplish alone.   

Library thought leader Lorcan Dempsey presents a power framework that argues that consortia are extremely beneficial to individual libraries and systems via their ability to scale capacity, learning, innovation, and influence. His 4-part blog series linked below touches on each element and helps define some of the less-discussed advantages of consortial affiliation. 

1. The powers of library consortia 1: How consortia scale capacity, learning, innovation and influence  
2. The powers of library consortia 2: Soft power and purposeful mobilization: scaling learning and innovation  
3. The powers of library consortia 3: Scaling influence and capacity 
4. The powers of library consortia 4: Scoping, sourcing and scaling 

With more than 630 member libraries of every type and size across Indiana and Michigan, MCLS provides a compelling example of Dempsey’s core framework elements.   

Scaling Capacity: Doing More Together 

Dempsey defines the first library consortium core power as scaling capacity, or increasing what individual libraries can accomplish by pooling resources and infrastructure. At MCLS, we do this through: 

• Group licensing agreements that offer access to databases, eBooks, eJournals, and library software from 70+ vendors at a lower cost than libraries would pay independently. 
• Consulting services that help libraries conduct strategic planning, facilitate staff day training, and lead community conversations—services that might otherwise be out of reach for smaller libraries. MCLS consultants bring experience, objectivity, and proven methodologies to help libraries make informed decisions and foster staff and stakeholder buy-in. 

This capacity scaling allows MCLS members to extend their reach and improve services at a reasonable cost, which is essential in an era of constrained budgets.  

Scaling Learning: Shared Knowledge and Professional Growth 

Consortia create knowledge-based communities. Dempsey describes our role as scaling learning, or enabling continuous professional development and the exchange of expertise across institutions. MCLS nurtures this through: 

• Training workshops  that support curated opportunities for staff development at all levels of skill and position within the library ecosystem. Continuous learning is vital to keeping library services relevant and effective. By investing in staff knowledge, libraries build stronger teams and improve service to their communities—without stretching limited budgets. 
• The Essential Workplace Skills Certificate, a 10-hour, self-paced learning opportunity which is free for any staff member of an MCLS member library. 
• Engagement opportunities like our Virtual Dialogue series, where staff from Indiana and Michigan libraries of different types and sizes can collaborate, share best practices, and co-create solutions. 

We aim to promote collective learning, to ensure libraries stay agile and informed in a fast-changing field.  

Scaling Innovation: Pilots, Projects, and Programs 

According to Dempsey, consortia are uniquely positioned to scale innovation because they can pilot new ideas, pool risk, and spread successful models more broadly. MCLS exemplifies this through programs like: 

• The MeLCat and MeL eResources components of the Michigan eLibrary, for which MCLS staff provide implementation, support, and training. The MeL project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library of Michigan. 
• TALK (Text and Learn for Kindergarten), a text messaging service that empowers caregivers to support school preparedness for children up to age 6 through activities, songs, and more. Originally created by Ypsilanti District Library staff with input from regional early childhood education partners, this easy-to-implement program is based on Every Child Ready to Read. Offered nationwide with a discount to MCLS members, TALK reflects how a consortium can cultivate innovation that serves community needs in new and scalable ways. 
• The RIDES (Regional Interlibrary DElivery Service) interlibrary courier system, which we manage to enable libraries to make materials available to citizens across Michigan. 
• The Michigan Digital Preservation Network (MDPN), a member-centered, collaborative organization dedicated to preserving Michigan’s digital cultural memory materials and leveraging our shared resources to make digital preservation accessible to as many libraries and institutions as possible. 

By connecting members with new tools, programs, and support, MCLS helps libraries experiment safely and adopt innovation faster. 

Scaling Influence: A Unified Voice for Libraries 

Finally, Dempsey emphasizes the consortium’s role in scaling influence—amplifying the voice of libraries in policy, vendor negotiations, and public discourse. MCLS supports this by: 

• Advocating member interests in vendor negotiations, ensuring equitable access to vital digital content. 
• Participating in national and regional initiatives along with other consortia, vendors, associations, and others, that align with library advocacy and demonstrating libraries’ positive impact. 
• Creating spaces for dialogue across library types (public, academic, school, and special libraries) to foster knowledge sharing about common goals and challenges. 

As a result, MCLS member libraries are not isolated, and are part of a larger, strategic network that commands attention and shapes the future of library service.  

The Big Picture: Sustained Value and Shared Mission 

For more than a decade, hundreds of libraries have trusted MCLS to help them respond to change, innovate, and serve their communities more effectively. Libraries rely on us for cost savings and quality services, but MCLS is more than a service provider—we are also a member owned and governed organization, shaped by the very voices we strive to empower. 

As Lorcan Dempsey observes, consortia deliver outcomes no single library can achieve alone. With our industry surrounded by rapid change and revolving unknowns, consortial collaboration is not simply helpful; it is essential. At MCLS, we want libraries to move beyond surviving change and actively engage in shaping it. To this end, MCLS staff leans into our vision: empowering libraries to achieve the extraordinary. 

Have a question or an idea? Let’s talk. We’re here to listen and help. Visit mcls.org to learn more about our services, explore membership benefits, and see our current strategic plan. You can reach me directly at garrisons@mcls.org or 517-489-4071.

If you’re going to be at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Philadelphia in June, keep an eye out for Executive Director Scott Garrison and eLicensing and Collection Resources Manager Sarah Beaubien, who plan to attend the conference. 

And even if you’re not going to ALA Annual this year, the MCLS Engagement, Consulting, and Training Team is hosting a “table” at the Learning Roundtable Virtual Training Showcase on June 2-6, which you can visit here. Check out more from the Virtual Training Showcase here.

We look forward to connecting with our librarian colleagues!