February 15, 2020 marks the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services’ (MCLS) tenth anniversary as an organization. To mark this month’s anniversary, I’ll cover some of the many changes that have happened since the Indiana Cooperative Library Service Authority (INCOLSA) and the Michigan Library Consortium (MLC) came together to form the organization we know today as …Read more »

We are excited to announce that Lissa Krull is the new MCLS Library Strategist. Lissa most recently worked as the Director of the Nappanee Public Library in Nappanee, Indiana. In addition to her experience as a successful library director, Lissa brings experience in consulting, strategic planning, and trustee training through her past work at the …Read more »

First started in 2011, the Michigan Shared Print Initiative (MI-SPI) entered a new phase in the fall of 2019 as 14 academic libraries across Michigan committed to participate in an updated shared print endeavor. Known as MI-SPI 2.0, the project involves the analysis of collection data from participating libraries using the GreenGlass (OCLC) software. GreenGlass …Read more »

I hope this finds you well in this new year, 2020. For this month, I’ll briefly highlight some things we’re working on at MCLS that will be coming soon. I’ve included some links below, for those who would like to learn more about these initiatives. Stay tuned for more information at our website. Creating one …Read more »

MCLS is pleased to announce a new series of in-person workshops designed for supervisors. These workshops are a continuation of MCLS’s efforts to meet the needs of library staff. The workshops range from four to six hours, and lunch will be included. Learning to Manage for New Managers, Feb 27, 9:30am – 2:30pm Eastern, Lebanon …Read more »

Do you wish that your library had a learning plan in place for staff around technology and digital skills, but you are not sure where to start or how to organize it? Then this workshop is for you! Developing a Digital Learning Plan is essential in empowering staff to develop digital literacy skills. In this …Read more »

The MCLS office will be closed the following days for the 2019 holiday season: Thu, Nov 28 Fri, Nov 29 Mon, Dec 23 Tue, Dec 24 Wed, Dec 25 Wed, Jan 1 Happy Holidays!

On November 6, MCLS Board President Edra Waterman, Board Audit Committee member Joel Scheuher, and I presented during the 2019 MCLS Annual Membership Meeting. Thanks to all who participated to keep up with what’s happening with our organization. For those who missed the meeting, I’ll use my space in this month’s newsletter to provide a …Read more »

MCLS will be offering five workshops in March and April 2020 as part of an Indiana LSTA grant project to support the development of digital skills and literacies of Indiana public library staff. The workshops will empower participants to create a digital learning plan for their library by learning how to incorporate technology competencies and …Read more »

By an overwhelming majority vote, our member representatives elected the proposed slate of returning board members. The elected slate includes: At-Large Library Representative (Indiana) – Alexis Macklin, Purdue University Fort Wayne Public Library Representative (Indiana) – Edra Waterman, Hamilton East Public Library Academic Library Representative (Michigan) – Annie Bélanger, Grand Valley State University Special Library …Read more »