About Us
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Library Spotlight
MeLCat Requesting Will Be Turned Off November 18th 12:01 a.m. The MeLCat servers are being moved to a new host site and upgraded. Due to the complexity of the traffic flow between all the affected servers and the problems that arise when that traffic is interrupted in certain ways, we determined that doing a complete shutdown would result in the fewest problems for users as well as for library staff. Please click on the link above for full information.
Financial Support for Women Business Owners Here's an important lead for the women business owners in your community! The federal government is stepping up its efforts to put federal dollars in the hands of women small business owners with the recently implemented Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program. Women small business owners stand to benefit greatly from increased access to the federal procurement marketplace and The National Women’s Business Council wants to spread the message. Join them online for their next Public Meeting on Tuesday, December 8th, 2015 from 2pm-4pm, to learn more. RSVP today!
Registration for Free Webinar on Job Skill Resources in MeL Please join us November 25, at 9:30 AM for this brief, half hour, free webinar. Retool your communities' workforce! Enhanced job skills equal economic development. A savvier workforce equals greater growth in your community. Be the value added asset to assist your community reach a greater potential. Registration is free and open to all Michigan library staff. NOTE: this webinar will be archived for those who are not able to view it at this time.
Closed for the Holiday! The Library will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27, in observance of Thanksgiving. Normal business hours will resume Monday, November 30. Have a happy and safe holiday!
November Listing of Free Webinars for Library Staff 
Dozens of online sessions to help you gain the knowledge, skills and abilities to move your library forward.
Quick Access To...
Upcoming Events at LM
400-Year-Old Printing and Book Binding Techniques with artisan Chad Pastotnik Date: November 20, 2015
Time: 05:00 PM - 09:00 PMArtist Chad Pastotnik of Deep Wood Press will be demonstrating intaglio printing. A book maker for over 23 years, he is known as fine press printer. Chad has exhibited his work throughout the United States and Europe most recently in Ireland. Chad lives in northern Michigan where he was featured on the first season of A Craftsman’s Legacy. You can catch a glimpse of Chad at work at: http://craftsmanslegacy.com/episodes/season_1/Episode-11#undefined.
Humanity in Photography of North American Indians with Doug Price Date: December 12, 2015
Time: 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Lake Michigan Room, 3rd floorDoug Price, an Ann Arbor collector of photographs will present Humanity in Photography of North American Indians. Price will also showcase images from his own collection of American Indian photography including original images from Frank Rinehart, Edward Curtis, Karl Moon and Michigan’s Grace Chandler among others. Of special importance are the Chandler photographs of Indians in the Harbor Springs area at the turn of the century taken during performances of a Hiawatha Pageant and of everyday events.
John Clor, Mustang 2015 Date: January 9, 2015
Time: 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Lake Michigan Room, 3rd floorVeteran automotive journalist and author John M. Clor has long been a regular columnist for a number of magazines specializing in the Ford Mustang. His current published column, “Ford Performance Corner” is the top-read monthly feature in Mustang Times magazine, the official publication of the Mustang Club of America.
Connect with the Library
- Ask a Librarian
Questions? Call or e-mail us!
Phone Us
517-373-1300 - Still answered by a real person 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday!
E-mail Us
Send a question to librarian@michigan.gov.
The Library of Michigan is open Monday - Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the second Saturday of every month from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Services to Libraries
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Quick Facts You Can Use
Digital and Physical Inventory in Michigan Public Libraries by Percentage This chart compares Michigan's public libraries digital materials inventory to physical inventory. To see the data used to create this chart please visit http://bit.ly/1fJS2Yl. New reports will be created constantly, so come back often. Public library directors and staff also have the ability to create their own custom reports using the new LibPas software. For further details contact Library Data Coordinator Joseph Hamlin at 517-373-3828 or via email.
Build Your Community
Museums and Libraries Transform Their Communities IMLS Press Contact: Giuliana Bullard and LISC Press Contact: Colleen Mulcahy/Washington, DC— A new national report finds that many museums and libraries are leveraging their prominent local positions to help rebuild troubled neighborhoods, driving economic, educational and social efforts that help raise standards of living.
Museums, Libraries, and Comprehensive Initiatives: A First Look at Emerging Experience, is part of a collaborative research effort by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) examining the ways that museums and libraries are helping fuel successful comprehensive community revitalization efforts and offer best practices for other institutions to follow.
The findings will be used to launch discussions at a series of invitational community meetings this fall and winter in Walterboro, S.C.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minn.; Philadelphia, Pa.; and Oakland, Calif.
The report includes examples from nine different museum and library initiatives.
Research
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Local History Resources
- Of Grave Concern to Family Historians
The Michigan Cemetery Sources Database (www.michigan.gov/cemeteries) is a free online catalog of burial lists at the Library of Michigan. The database contains the names, alternative names and locations of 3,700 cemeteries and lists all of the associated lists of burials at the Library of Michigan. The burial lists can be found in books, microfilms and periodicals.While there are a number of very good websites with burials, there is no central index to all burials in Michigan. The Michigan Cemetery Sources Database, paired with the Library of Michigan’s vital records and newspaper collections, provides a powerful research tool for finding out where individuals are buried.
If You Seek a Cool Resource...come to the Library!
- (FRE)E-Resources!
When you visit the Library of Michigan, your research can extend beyond the realm of our vast print resources! In addition to quick and ready access to MeL, the Library subscribes to numerous databases chosen to complement the focus of our other collections. Ancestry Library Edition, Newspaper Archive, CQ Researcher - just a few of the subscription databases available at the Library of Michigan.
On the Other Hand: Resources for State Employees
- CQ Researcher
At the Library or from your office, CQ Researcher provides award winning in-depth coverage of the most important issues of the day. Reports are written by experienced journalists, footnoted and professionally fact-checked. Topics are presented with an overview, historical background, chronology, pro/con feature, plus resources for additional research. Graphics, photos and short "sidebar" features round out the reports. With a complete archive that dates back to 1991, CQ Researcher is an invaluable source for policy-related research.Contact our reference staff to have your ip address registered for office access.
- Of Grave Concern to Family Historians
In the Know
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News for Michigan Libraries
The Mid-Michigan Library League Invites You to an HR Workshop with Brian Mortimore The Mid-Michigan Library League is holding a two-part series on Human Resources with Brian Mortimore. Part I: HR Basics - The "soft" skills will be held in Ludington at the Mason County District Library on Thursday, December 3rd, 2015. Registration fee is $50 for MMLL members, $65 for guests, and includes lunch. Registration deadline: November 26th. Register here. Click on the title above for more information.