Now that the fall conference and event season has begun, MCLS members will see MCLS Board of Directors members in a variety of places near and far. As the informed voice and agent of the member libraries who own MCLS, our Board needs to hear from you about how MCLS is doing in delivering on their new vision statement that took effect July 1. Are you getting good value for the time and dollars you invest in working with MCLS? What new value could MCLS provide for your library and the broader library community? What questions do you have for Board members, and what do you want them to know about what MCLS is doing well or ways we could improve to help libraries thrive?   Now is an especially good time to connect with Board members as they prepare for their annual fall retreat on Oct. 26-27. At the retreat, the Board will focus on MCLS’s future as a member-owned and governed organization, including how we can drive and foster innovation. As part of their work, they will consider how to stay connected with MCLS members so that together, we can build the best possible future for libraries.   As you talk with our Board members, consider how their current vision lands with you – what can MCLS do to turn vision into reality? What questions might you have about what the Board’s vision does or does not include? Their vision reads:  Midwest Collaborative for Library Services exists so that:  Libraries can benefit by gaining expanded access to resources, innovative and stable library services, and collaborative efforts, worth the continuing investment of members and affiliates.  Libraries have the support and tools to equip their staff with the skills and knowledge to succeed Library staff have access to professional development in library skills Library staff have access to engagement opportunities in the areas of concern to their community Libraries have access to innovative technologies and strategies that help them accomplish their goals Libraries enjoy access to systems deployed at a scale they could not manage on their own Libraries benefit from new systems and strategies they would be unable to experiment with on their own Libraries have the resources and tools to demonstrate their value within their communities and with decision makers Libraries have a compelling rationale of the value of collaboration and collective strategy, being part of the network of Indiana and Michigan libraries What does this vision mean to you? What can we do to make it a reality, and how will we know we’ve done that?  If you know any of our Board members, seek them out and ask questions or share a story about how MCLS has made or could make a positive impact for your library. If you don’t know them yet, introduce yourself and learn more about them as colleagues and people, why they serve on our Board, and what their experience has been like.   You’ll also see members of the MCLS staff at many conferences and events this month and next. Talk to us, too – we want to know what’s on your mind and how we can help. As I say each month, you can always share your thoughts with me at garrisons@mcls.org.

Evidence-Based Acquisition (EBA) is a Books at JSTOR model that gives libraries unlimited access to 96,000+ high-quality backlist eBooks from 115+ scholarly publishers for a single up-front fee. After one year of unlimited DRM-free access, libraries review usage data to select the titles they want to own, ensuring every acquisition with perpetual access on JSTOR reflects real reader engagement.  EBA is a flexible, cost-effective way to expand access, simplify workflows, and make informed collection development decisions. JSTOR will provide access to all titles with no usage restrictions over a set period, and at the end of the period you will use a portion of the up-front fee to select titles for acquisition, with the usage data as a guide. Once a title is acquired, the library has perpetual access to it on JSTOR with no ongoing fees.  All EBA titles will be available for the duration of the access period, regardless of the amount of usage across all titles.   All titles in EBA are backlist, published in 2023 or earlier; in January 2027, titles with a copyright year of 2024 will be added to the corpus.   There is no additional charge for any titles added during the access period.   Institutions can download regular usage reports from the JSTOR Admin site throughout the access period, and a final usage report that includes pricing will be delivered by the third week of May for use in selecting titles for acquisition for FY cycles.  To learn more, join us for a webinar on Oct. 15, 2026 at 1 p.m. Eastern (12 p.m. Central).   REGISTER HERE If you have any questions, contact services@mcls.org or 517-939-1382. 

Beginning Oct. 1, MCLS will launch its new online payment portal through Bank of America’s Commerce Payment Portal, giving libraries a faster and more flexible way to pay their invoices. The system allows libraries to make credit card payments with no spending limits, though a 3% convenience fee will apply. ACH/eCheck payments remain available at no additional cost. Libraries can access the portal directly from the link on their invoice, through our website, or at the following address: https://www.billerpayments.com/app/enrolledwebui/#/login?bsn=mcls. We’re excited to offer a more modern, convenient, and user‑friendly payment experience as we transition to this new platform.

  MCLS partners with OverDrive to provide eBooks, digital magazines, and streaming media resources to libraries. This partnership includes coordination of two groups of member libraries who work together to collect and lend eBook collections: the MCLS Digital Libraries, a group of 22 Michigan public libraries, and OverDrive for Michigan and Indiana Academics (OMIA), a group of community college, college, and university libraries in both member states.  Streaming with Kanopy   Kanopy provides streaming video content to libraries.  This digital video content is available through various platforms, including its website at www.kanopy.com, the Kanopy iOS and Android mobile apps, and the Kanopy channel on Roku. MCLS academic member organizations are eligible to receive discounted pricing on Kanopy.   Read with the Libby app    For libraries with an OverDrive collection, your patrons may borrow eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more for free with Libby, the reading app. The Libby app makes it easy for readers and learners to customize how they read. Users can adjust the font size, book layout, and lighting in most books and add bookmarks, notes, and highlights. In the nearly 6,000 magazines available, readers can use dedicated article mode to read every recipe and column. Libby makes it simple for people to listen when, where, and how they want. Swipe on the book cover to skip backward or forward. Increase playback speed up to 3x. Set a sleep timer until the end of the chapter or for 5, 10, 30 minutes, or more.   Libby - Ambient    Last month, with the help and support of OverDrive, Ambient Reciprocal Lending Agreement (RLA) went live throughout Michigan. This virtual lending partnership among sixteen (soon to be 17) stand-alone libraries, consortiums, and cooperatives, including the MCLS Digital Libraries group, provides public library cardholders from one organization with access to all of them. The partner libraries have their unique library cards displayed throughout Libby. Thus, when browsing in Libby, patrons can identify where the eBook or audiobook is available, and Libby will automatically check the availability of every search result at all partner libraries and will suggest the earliest available copy!    The MCLS Digital Libraries group was established over 15 years ago. We appreciate the long-standing commitment the group of libraries has made to improve digital lending throughout the state of Michigan. For more information about Libby’s Ambient RLA and partner libraries, please visit their site.  For a quote or more information, contact services@mcls.org or call 517-939-1382. 

by MCLS Engagement Strategist Laura Warren-Gross  Libraries are vital to their communities. Visit any library and you will see exactly why this is true. I recently visited Evie Parrish, director of Jasper County Public Library. Evie has worked at Jasper County since 2005, working her way through various positions and departments up to director. Her long history and experience with the library are assets as she looks to shape the future.   One of the ideas we discussed was about how the role of the library is changing in her community. Evie is working with her staff to consider how they can add a Library of Things to their collections. Having access to a variety of things that can be useful in the daily lives of her patrons will add value to the library. MCLS is offering a new course, Setting Up a Library of Things for Public Libraries, which Evie and her staff were able to take at a discounted rate thanks to their membership.  Evie told me that her community does not have organizations such as a YMCA or a Boys and Girls Club, so she envisions the library as a community hub for folks to gather and enjoy a public place. The library is doing a light remodel that will include additional study room space to help provide another way to come together.  Our conversation made me think about how libraries are shaped by their communities. What resources or services do you provide for your patrons that they would otherwise not be able to access? Engagement, Consulting, and Training team members would love to hear about your library and share your story. Interested? Contact us at engagement@mcls.org.   

In April 2026, Inside Higher Education announced a move to a subscription model for its previously free content. While readers will still have access to three free articles per month, most of the content is now behind a paywall. Inside Higher Education’s surveys, student success advice, Views, career content, and columns will remain open access. For libraries who are interested in an institution-wide license for all IHE content, including unlimited access to news coverage, deep dives and Quick Takes, we are pleased to share that we are working on a partnership with IHE to provide discounted pricing on institutional subscriptions.  MCLS academic and community college members receive discounts from 15-40% on an annual IHE subscription with greater discounts available for multi-year pay annual terms of 3 or 5 years. Existing subscribing institutions can renew through MCLS and receive a discount. This institutional subscription brochure provides additional information.   We are collecting interest from member libraries until Oct. 16. Please reach out with any questions or request a quote or renewal quote by email to services@mcls.org. 

MCLS works with several vendors to offer direct discounts for supplies, furniture, travel, and more. These discounts are available to member libraries by request. One of our discount partners, DEMCO, is making some changes to their program to help offset increased operational and fulfillment costs while continuing to deliver a high level of service. These changes take effect on Oct. 1, 2026.  The following updates will apply to the Demco discount program:  Level 1 (CTL001) and the Introductory Discount (CTL000) will be discontinued. Members currently using these discount codes will automatically transition to Level 2 (CTL002).  Level 2 (CTL002) and Level 3 (CTL003) will have changes to their discount rates and minimum order requirements.  Level 4 (CTL004) will have an increased minimum order requirement.   Contact services@mcls.org to request the current list of vendors and discounts available to you as an MCLS member. 

PolicyMap has rolled out new data and platform features this year, including additional data sources, updates to Multi-Layer Maps, revamped dashboards, a searchable data catalog, and new AI capabilities. If you missed the Back to School with PolicyMap webinar, the recording and full rundown can be viewed here.  A PolicyMap subscription puts millions of data points at your fingertips, so you can map, analyze, and export data with no technical background required. Explore classroom applications across a range of disciplines — including public health, social sciences, marketing, economics, social work, and urban planning — so you can bring PolicyMap into your research and curriculum.  For a quote or more information, contact services@mcls.org or call 517-939-1382. 

MCLS staff members will be at several conferences around Indiana and Michigan (and beyond) this fall. Below is just a glimpse of where we’ll be soon. If you’re attending any of these events, please visit our booth or find us and say hi! We would love to connect. Association for Library Service to Children National Institute (Buffalo, NY) MCLS Members Annual Event (South Bend, IN) Michigan Museums Association Annual Conference (Oakland County, MI) Michigan Library Association Annual Conference (Novi, MI)MCLS members—stop by booth #8 on Thursday, Oct. 29 to grab a special member appreciation treat*! Michigan Association of School Librarians Annual Conference (Ann Arbor, MI)MCLS members—stop by West 1 on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026 from 7-8 a.m. for the MCLS Meet & Greet. Grab a special treat* and some swag* to start your day. Charleston Conference (Charleston, SC) Indiana Library Federation Annual Conference (Indianapolis, IN)MCLS members—stop by our booth throughout the conference to grab a special member appreciation treat*! Michigan OER Network Conference (Ann Arbor, MI) (*While supplies last.)