13 Indiana Libraries Receive Scholarship from MCLS to attend Harwood/ALA Public Innovators Lab

LANSING—The Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS) announced today that 23 individuals from 13 Indiana libraries were selected to receive a scholarship from MCLS to attend the 2015 Harwood/ALA Public Innovators Lab in Detroit Michigan, October 14-16.

The funds were made available to MCLS member libraries through a grant program established by the MCLS Board of Trustees from the proceeds of the sale of the former INCOLSA building in Indiana.

The Harwood Public Innovators Lab is a 2.5 day experience to help libraries learn what it means to turn outward – to use the community as your reference point for choices and action.  The Lab is part of the American Library Association's “Libraries Transforming Communities” initiative, a national plan to help librarians strengthen their role as core community leaders and change-agents.

According to MCLS Executive Director, Randy Dykhuis, “MCLS has been using the community engagement tools of the Harwood Institute and sharing them with libraries in Indiana and Michigan since 2013.  We are excited to be able to support training for a cohort of Indiana librarians.”

The selected libraries represent a spectrum of library types, sizes and geographic locations in Indiana, all with a common goal to engage more deeply in their communities.

The following libraries were selected: ·        Bloomfield-Eastern Greene County Public Library ·        Eckhart Public Library (Auburn) ·        Franklin D. Schurz Library (Indiana University South Bend) ·        Greensburg-Decatur County Public Library ·        Indiana State Library (Indianapolis) ·        Indiana University East Library (Richmond) ·        Indianapolis Public Library ·        La Porte County Public Library ·        Monticello-Union Township Public Library ·        Morrisson-Reeves Library (Richmond) ·        Tippecanoe County Public Library (Lafayette) ·        Vigo County Public Library (Terre Haute) ·        Washington-Carnegie Public Library

MCLS is committed to continuing to support the community engagement efforts of Indiana and Michigan libraries beyond the Lab, and will offer communication forums through social media, community engagement roundtables, and coaching calls to libraries as they begin to put the Harwood tools into practice in their community.

About MCLS

MCLS is a non-profit, member driven organization whose mission is to facilitate sharing resources and to collaborate with other organizations to benefit Indiana and Michigan Libraries.