By Chrystal Pickell Vandervest Read time: 3 minutes What’s that? You want to include other Creative Commons (CC) licensed works in your open educational resource (OER), too!? (You probably weren’t thinking that at all, but it’s what we’re talking about today.) It’s quite common. And, if you’ve read an OER textbook, you’ve seen it in …Read more »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, January 25, 2021 CONTACT: Stephanie Davis Manager, eLicensing and Collection Resources Midwest Collaborative for Library Services daviss@mcls.org 517-489-4577 Monday, January 25, 2021 – Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS) is pleased to announce a Read and Publish agreement with Cambridge University Press (CUP) aimed at advancing open access (OA) in scholarly …Read more »

During spring and summer 2020, amid all the changes brought on by COVID-19, MCLS hosted Virtual Dialogues for library staff as a chance to connect with others in Indiana and Michigan (and sometimes beyond). In the fall, as many libraries were back to being open to the public and library work continued to evolve, we …Read more »

Registration is open for virtual training for library staff on foundational digital literacy topics. This two-day virtual workshop will be offered twice in March. Class sizes are kept small to allow for personal attention and interactive activities. The Foundations of Digital Literacy workshop is designed to help library staff gain confidence in everyday interactions with …Read more »

Registration is now open for a new virtual training for Michigan library staff on creating a digital literacy learning plan for library staff, offered by MCLS in partnership with the Library of Michigan. This workshop is being offered multiple times through April and May to accommodate smaller participation limits in each session, which will allow …Read more »

At MCLS, we believe openness to changes in the information ecosystem that aim to make more information openly available to more people, at a lower cost, is simply required for libraries and the consortia that serve them. Research and scholarly work published in open access (OA), and open educational resources (OER; or as some prefer, …Read more »

Like me, you may be trying to balance living in a moment to be thankful, being cautious, reflecting as an exhausting 2020 draws to a close, and hoping for a better 2021. While the past several months may have been among the most challenging of our lives, they have also shown us just how adaptable, …Read more »

Mark your calendars for the MCLS Annual Membership Meeting to take place from 10-11am Eastern (9-10am Central) on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. This year’s membership meeting will take place online using Zoom, and will feature reports from MCLS President Paul Gallagher, Executive Director Scott Garrison, and Treasurer (and Audit Committee Chair) Arlene Weismantel. There is …Read more »

On behalf of everyone at the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS), I’d like to welcome you to the Indiana Library Federation (ILF) 2020 Annual Conference. We are pleased to support ILF in offering you the best online conference experience possible, at this time when so many, including our staff, would much prefer being together …Read more »

To help library staff understand, track, and maintain their own well-being in a challenging 2020, MCLS and our Board of Directors are offering a brief confidential survey from The Wellbeing Lab. Just take the survey by November 10, and receive a customized report and well-being plan tailored for you. I usually use this space to …Read more »