This article was adapted from a talk I gave at “Public, School and Academic Libraries and Student Achievement”, the 2015 Mahoney Conference. The conference was sponsored by the Library of Michigan, in conjunction with the Michigan Association for Media in Education, the Cooperative Directors Association, MCLS, Michigan Library Association, and Michigan Academic Library Association. The …Read more »

Greetings to all in this holiday season. Thank you for another year of dedication and hard work towards a stronger, more vibrant and engaged Midwestern library community. Our libraries do make the world a much better place. We don’t say that out loud often enough. Celebrating the holidays, the MCLS office will be closed: December …Read more »

MCLS has issued a new Request for Quote for Selected Web-based Databases to license specific data content for participating libraries in Indiana and Michigan. Responses are sought for services beginning July 1, 2016. The RFP is posted here: http://mcls.org/rfq2016. Questions regarding the RFQ may be addressed to rfq2016@mcls.org.

MCLS last issued an RFP for statewide delivery services in December 2003. In the interest of due diligence, MCLS has issued a new RFP for RIDES service to begin July 2016. The RFP is posted http://mcls.org/ridesrfp. Questions regarding the RFP may be addressed to ridesrfp@mcls.org.

MCLS is offering up to twenty $500 collection development mini-grants to school libraries in Indiana that are MCLS members. These funds are being made available through a grant program established by the MCLS Board of Trustees from the proceeds of the sale of the former INCOLSA building.  $50,000 per year for the next five years …Read more »

MCLS will host a live Twitter chat series at #MCLSchat with special guests who are veterans in the field of library management.  These one-hour Twitter chats will provide opportunities to get expert advice from your veteran peers in the library management field without leaving your desk (or your smart phone.) When? Every Thursday in February …Read more »

A little more than two years ago, MCLS undertook a concerted effort to connect more effectively and engage more deeply with its members. We have held many conversations with members both in groups and individually, some in formal settings, others more informally. Our intent was to listen to our members and learn about the things …Read more »

MCLS is pleased to announce our newest team member, Megan Bauerle. She began on November 5 as our Member Services Assistant. Megan is currently finishing her thesis for an M.S. in archaeology with a focus in biological anthropology from Illinois State University. In 2013, she obtained her B.S. in psychology and anthropology, with a minor in …Read more »

From October 14-16, I had the good fortune to attend the Harwood Institute/ALA Public Innovators Lab in Detroit, Michigan. My attendance, as well as a colleague’s, was made possible thanks to a scholarship we received from Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS). There is no way we could have attended without their help, as our …Read more »

The Library of Michigan and MCLS are offering a robust, extensive, and essentially free community engagement training opportunity. The Library of Michigan and MCLS are pleased to announce a several month long community engagement training program for Michigan library staff. The training will be led by coaches from the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, and …Read more »