We are pleased to announce that Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS) has been awarded an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant in the amount of $45,000 by the Indiana State Library. The grant will allow us to offer Libraries Engaging Appreciatively for Positive Change (LEAP) to Indiana library staff in 2022. LEAP is a …Read more »

This fall has marked a return to some of the in-person conferences many have missed so much since March 2020, while others continue to gather virtually. This month, I’ll share some of the things I heard at two I recently attended: the Michigan Association for Media in Education (MAME, Michigan’s school library association) and the …Read more »

By Chrystal Pickell Vandervest Read time: 2 minutes As you may know, at the heart of many open educational resources (OER) are Creative Commons licenses. These licenses allow faculty to use, adapt, and remix content. The newly created resources further build upon the knowledge contained in other OERs, and then, that knowledge is shared with …Read more »

By an overwhelming majority vote, our member representatives elected the proposed slate of Board members. The elected slate includes: At-Large Library Representative (Indiana) – Trista Smith, Director, Newburgh Chandler Public Library Research Library Representative (Indiana) – Marion Frank-Wilson, Associate Dean for Collection Development and Archival Collections, Indiana University School Library Representative (Indiana) – Rain Smith, …Read more »

Listening to libraries Each October, we at MCLS anticipate our Board of Directors’ annual fall retreat. Our Board members always appreciate knowing what’s on library leaders’ and staff’s minds leading up to the retreat, as they and I discuss MCLS’s future together. Recently, I’ve started a new series of conversations with library directors in Indiana …Read more »

MCLS is seeking library staff from all types of libraries who want to help shape future group purchases. Our vision for the Product Advisory Librarians (PALs) is to test and trial products and provide feedback. This information will help us determine the direction for product offerings in a more thoughtful manner. Benefits for PALs: Influence …Read more »

The MCLS Board of Directors has accepted the Nominating Committee’s proposed slate of candidates for the five seats with terms expiring at the end of December 2021. Electronic voting to approve the slate of candidates begins on Sept. 16. All Member Representatives should receive an email on Sept. 16 with voting instructions. Votes will be …Read more »

Editor’s note: this month’s Notes from the Executive Director is a collaboration with Biz Gallo, Rick Adler, and Chelsea Denault, and serves as a chance to introduce our readers to some people and projects making a difference in libraries in Michigan. Read on to learn more about Biz, Rick, and Chelsea. Caring for and providing …Read more »

We are excited to announce that Jenny Kobiela-Mondor is the new MCLS Library Strategist. Jenny most recently worked as the Assistant Director of the Eckhart Public Library in Auburn, Indiana. She brings to us much experience around community engagement, strategic thinking, disaster recovery and planning, and intellectual freedom, both in her work as an assistant …Read more »

Equitable access has been a core principle of publicly-funded library service for going on two centuries. For well over a decade, an ever-growing number of libraries have come to recognize that fines for overdue materials can pose a barrier to equity, and have responded by eliminating those fines. American Library Association (ALA), local and national …Read more »