Feb. 28, 2006

The Library of Michigan, the Library and Information Science Program at Wayne State University and the Michigan Department of Education today announced that Michigan Educators' Resources (MER) - a collection of preschool-through-12^th-grade education-related Web resources that have been carefully evaluated for quality, relevance and effectiveness - are now available through the Michigan eLibrary (MeL, at http://mel.org).

Just last week, the Library of Michigan launched MeL ReMix, the redesigned 24-hour-a-day Michigan eLibrary, with newly integrated contents and services; smoother, more intuitive navigation; and enhanced information resources.  With the addition of  Michigan Educators' Resources (the former Michigan Teacher Network), the Michigan eLibrary becomes an even more powerful information-gathering tool for teachers, parents, administrators, and anyone interested in making the most of classroom time for students. 

"The Michigan eLibrary is all about finding and collecting the best information resources - no matter their format - and making them easy to locate and freely accessible to Michigan residents," said State Librarian Nancy R. Robertson.  "Governor Granholm recently spoke of creating an unprecedented 'culture of learning' in Michigan.  Quality information is key to that pursuit and the Library of Michigan is proud to play a role in helping educators achieve their teaching goals."

Michigan Educators' Resources includes more than 7,000 Web sites that have been selected and evaluated by education professionals.  All links provide extensive descriptions and ERIC keywords, and users will be able to search for resources by keyword, title, author or resource type.  MER includes thousands of excellent resources that are ideal for classroom use, professional development and long-term strategic planning.  Additionally, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) will contribute lesson plans and mapping of the Web sites to the new Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCE).

"For the past two summers Michigan teachers from around the state have gathered together to develop lesson plans aligned to the new Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations and the new High School Content Expectations, with a specific emphasis on integrating technology into the lesson," said Bruce Umpstead, director of Educational Technology and Data Coordination at the Michigan Department of Education.  "These technology integration workshops were grant funded and sponsored by the Michigan Department of Education.  As this work continues, MDE will continue to add these exemplary lesson plans to MER, which soon will be searchable by the standard the teacher is addressing."

Michigan Educators' Resources will be a continuous work in progress, a service that - like the Michigan eLibrary - strives for quality over quantity.  To ensure educators find only the best, most relevant information resources within MER, content will be researched, evaluated and selected by students in Wayne State University's library and information science program and curriculum experts from around the state.

Joseph J. Mika, director of the Library and Information Science Program at Wayne State University, stated that "Dr. Marcia Mardis of our faculty and the partners in this resource have been working to assure high standards of selection of included resources and expert selectors who will be able to provide value to users of MER.  The librarians who participate as selectors have been educated to choose the best content that will be of importance and use to searchers.  We are indebted to MERIT who worked with us in being able to transition the Michigan Teacher Network to the Michigan Educators' Resources."

The Michigan eLibrary is funded in part through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) via the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and administered by the Library of Michigan.

The Library of Michigan is part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).  Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, the department also includes the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Historical Center.  For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

As part of the Wayne State University Library System, the Library and Information Science master's program is one of the largest American Library Association-accredited LIS programs in the U.S. and Canada, with over 550 students enrolled across four specialized programs.

Wayne State University is a premier institution offering more than 350 academic programs through 12 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.  For more information, visit www.wayne.edu.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).