MDE - Spring 2009 LM4X Newsletter

Welcome to LM4X, the Library of Michigan's newsletter. This quarterly publication offers updates about Library services and events and Library of Michigan Foundation programs for the public and library staff members throughout the state.

The Library of Michigan is trying a new format with this issue of LM4X. We're moving closer to our goal of issuing an e-mail newsletter. What do you think of this new format? Please relay comments and questions to LM4X editor Gloriane Peck at (517) 373-0685 or peckg@michigan.gov. We look forward to serving you better!

Opportunities to Keep Learning Are Plentiful This Spring

Library of Michigan Announces the 2009 Michigan Notable Books Author Tour

The program provides libraries with a forum to celebrate and promote Michigan writers and books written about the Great Lakes region.

"We're pleased that the programs allows many libraries to host author readings that they may not have been able to do it otherwise," Riley said.

Annually, the Library of Michigan selects 20 notable books, either written by a Michigan resident or about Michigan or the Great Lakes. The selected books are honored in the year after their publication or copyright date. Each selected title speaks to our state's rich cultural, historical and literary heritage, and proves without a doubt that some of the greatest stories are found in the Great Lakes State. The Michigan Notable Books program's roots stretch back to the Read Michigan program started during Michigan Week in 1991. In 2004, the program was re-named Michigan Notable Books.

For more information about the Michigan Notable Books program and a complete list of the author tour stops, visit the Library's Web page at www.michigan.gov/notablebooks or call (517) 373-5860.

Learning More at the Library of Michigan Online Genealogy Workshop Is April 4

Michlib-l Is Getting an Upgrade

This change will result in some highly desireable upgraded features. Notably, you will be able to send attachments (Word documents, PDFS, forwarded e-mails, photos, etc.) as well as embedded HTML. The size limit for messages will not change - it will still be 60 KB - but whatever you care to send beneath that size limit will get through. Also, the archives on a going-forward basis will be keyword searchable. The archives from 2000 to present will be available in current format - sortable but not keyword searchable.

While your subscription will automatically be moved to the new system, we are not able to carry forward your preference for the digest or individual e-mail format from the old system to the new. The default will be individual e-mails. If you prefer the digest version, you will need to change that at http://listserv2.michigan.gov on or after March 19. When you go there for the first time, you will need to click on the link to Get Password and set up your new account. This is the same address where you will be able to access archives, change your password, change the e-mail address your mail goes to, temporarily suspend mail, etc.

Changes to the current Michlib-l settings as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 17 will not carry over to the new system. If you need to make changes such as unsubscribing or changing the e-mail address you receive Michlib-l messages at, please do so before that time or wait until the new system goes into effect March 19.

Obituary Database Now Available at Library of Michigan

Stop in at the library to explore this new online resource. Finding your ancestors' obituaries has never been easier!

Broadband Summit Set for May 20

By Carrie Lowe
American Library Association Office for Information Technology Policy

However, the library's ability to play this role can be hampered by insufficient broadband connectivity. The online resources that people need to improve their lives are increasingly bandwidth-heavy, which can result in a virtual "traffic jam" at peak times. This is particularly true in Michigan. According to the 2007-2008 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, only 9.4 percent of libraries in Michigan report that there are always sufficient computers available. This compares to a national average of 17.3 percent.^[1]

In recognition of this vital role played by local libraries and the need for expanded broadband connectivity, the Library of Michigan invites you to attend a Broadband Summit on May 20. This event, sponsored by the American Library Association's Office for Information Technology Policy, will be held at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. The summit will focus on the impact of broadband on economic development and libraries.

This one-day conference is designed for public library directors, but it will not be an exercise in "preaching to the choir." We encourage every public library director to bring a leader from his or her local community, such as a legislator, mayor, city/county planner or other key decision maker. A series of speakers and panel presentations will address the importance of broadband to Michigan's economic development and growth, and how libraries can play a vital role in bringing broadband to their communities.

Participants also will walk away with concrete ideas about how to bridge the broadband gap in their communities. A special presentation on the federal E-rate program will help to demystify the application and disbursement process. We also will discuss strategies for the build-out of "last mile" connections, which can often cause the greatest obstacle to broadband connectivity.

After the conference, the Library of Michigan will produce two products: first, a pocket digest on library connectivity that will serve as a handy informational piece for sharing with potential collaborators; second, a Web site including a video recording of each summit session and links to additional resources.

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsor, the American Library Association Office for Information Technology Policy, there is no registration fee and lunch will be provided. For more information and to register, go to www.michigan.gov/techforlibraries.

^[1] 2008. Davis, D., et al. Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2007-2008. Chicago: American Library Association.

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Lansing-Area Volunteers Invited to Help SBPH

Looking for a unique way to give back to the community? Consider becoming a volunteer for the Library of Michigan Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (SBPH). SBPH is part of a nationwide Braille and talking book service available to anyone who qualifies because of a visual or physical inability to read standard print material. The state's network of regional and sub-regional libraries currently serves more than 17,000 residents, providing specialized cassettes and cassette players at no cost.

These cassette players are repaired and replaced as needed. For 20 years, small groups of retired telephone company employees - Telecom Pioneers - have dutifully handled repair of these players, volunteering their talent a few hours per week.

"You don't have to be an engineer to do this work; all it takes is basic manual dexterity," said Keith Morley, spokesperson for the four active Telecom Pioneers in Lansing.

The Lansing-based Telecom Pioneers repair machines for about 6,000 users; other Pioneer groups assist at other locations nationwide.

"This level of output has been meeting our need for a very long time," said SBPH Manager Sue Chinault. "Due to recent library changes and increased demand, more volunteers are needed."

While the Library of Congress, National Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is transitioning the entire program to a digitally-based media, the need for cassette books and machines will continue for the next several years.

Sue Chinault

We encourage individuals looking for a unique way to give back to their community to contact the Library of Michigan SBPH to discuss availability and training. For more information, call (517) 373-5353 or e-mail sbph@michigan.gov.

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Michigan Center for the Book Announces Literary Grants

By Karren Reish
Michigan Center for the Book Coordinator

The Michigan Center for the Book is excited to announce its 2009 literary grant recipients. The Center provides grant funding for literary events that are open to the public and that match the Center's mission to promote reading and literacy. We are proud to help broaden the scope of literary activities available to Michigan residents.

We received a variety of wonderful proposals and are pleased to be funding the following 12 libraries' literary events for a total of $4,150.

Karren Reish

Center for the Book affiliate libraries:

MetroNet Library Consortium: $425 for Everyone's Reading Diane Rehm's Finding My Voice
Hillsdale Community Library: $425 for Hillsdale County Reads The Glass Castle
Southfield Public Library: $425 for Authors @ Your Library with Bernice McFadden
Grand Rapids Public Library: $425 for the Celebration of the Book
Peter White Public Library: $500 for Once Upon a Time, a fairytale series for children and their families
Genesee District Library: $425 for Meet the Author with Juan Williams
Howell Carnegie District Library: $425 for Livingston Reads The Final Season and All the Stars Came Out That Night

Non-affiliate libraries:

Ironwood Carnegie Library: $175 for The Big Read 2009 The Maltese Falcon
Chesterfield Township Library: $250 for the Giggle Poetry Concert with Bruce Lansky
Kalkaska County Library: $250 for An Evening with Joe Heywood
Kalamazoo Public Library: $250 for Reading Together Reads Rick Bragg's Memoirs of Home
Bayliss Public Library: $175 for Curious Creatures with Unkle Ake Larson

For more information on the Center for the Book and its activities, please visit www.michigan.gov/mcfb.

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'21st Century Media Center' Video Drives Home the Need for Certified Library Media Specialists in Michigan Schools

By Sarah Lapshan
Communications Director, Department of History, Arts and Libraries

More than three years in the making, the Library of Michigan and Michigan Department of Education recently released the "21st Century Media Center" video, a collaborative effort showcasing the essential need for fully supported school library media centers with qualified staff - all for the benefit of Michigan's K-12 students' educational success.

The full video is geared toward the stakeholders who influence school library media programs in Michigan schools (superintendents, building-level administrators, school boards, parent groups, community leaders, legislators and educational associations) and can be viewed at www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17451_18668_51980---,00.html.

School library media specialist instructing children.

State Librarian Nancy Robertson applauded the efforts of Library of Michigan and Department of Education staff, along with partners that included the Michigan Association for Media in Education, the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning, Wayne State University, and representatives from several intermediate school districts and regional educational media centers.

"This is a conversation we must have over and over and over again, with statewide educational associations, parents, teachers, government officials and anyone else who cares about the educational success of our kids," she said. "Our schools need and rely upon well-funded and fully staffed library programs, and it's a need that our kids can't afford for us to ignore."

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LM Reference Librarians Participate in Chat Reference Collaborative

By Diane Donham
Reference Librarian

Library of Michigan reference librarians again have fared well in the annual Research Help Now Transcript Contest.

This is the second year that Research Help Now, the virtual reference collaborative comprising 14 Michigan academic institutions and the Library of Michigan, has held the contest, and in both years a number of transcripts from Library of Michigan chat sessions have been nominated for consideration. Of the 29 transcripts under review this time, six were from the Library of Michigan, including one that was among the four winners.

Research Help Now began in February 2004 as a project funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) for the Michigan Community College Virtual Learning Collaborative (MCCVLC). Formed by a group of Michigan community college libraries, led by Sandy McCarthy of Washtenaw Community College and Ann Walaskay of Oakland Community College, its initial focus was to offer virtual reference to their communities.

Since then, it has grown to include three major libraries in the state of Michigan: the Library of Michigan, Michigan State University Libraries and Eastern Michigan University Libraries. In 2005, the Library of Michigan became the first non-community college library to participate in the collaborative. Given the Library of Michigan's unique collections and the nature of research inquiries they generate, it has always maintained a separate presence in the reference service rather than trying to blend with the academic libraries. But having the state library on board seemed a good start to expansion, and it has helped the Library of Michigan contain the costs of offering virtual reference service.

To learn more about the collaborative, please visit the Research Help Now Web site at www.researchhelpnow.org. To ask a reference question of the Library of Michigan, please visit www.michigan.gov/askalibrarian.

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Library of Michigan Foundation

Night for Notables Honors 2009 Michigan Notable Books Authors

By Judith K. Moore, CFRE
Executive Director, Library of Michigan Foundation

The Library of Michigan Foundation will host its annual Night for Notables celebration on Saturday, April 18 as a tribute to the 2009 Michigan Notable Books authors. Newbery Medal recipient Christopher Paul Curtis, author of the 2008 Michigan Notable Book Elijah of Buxton, will be the keynote speaker. The program, taking place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Library of Michigan, includes a reception and book signings with many of the year's Notable authors.

The evening gathering offers an opportunity to publicly honor the talented authors and provides a forum where the public can meet the authors together in one venue.

Judith Moore

The Michigan Notable Books program also includes a tour of libraries by the Notable authors, who will visit communities across the state in April and May, engaging residents in readings, learning and dialogue. (Visit www.michigan.gov/notablebooks for more information about the tour.)

Born in Flint, Christopher Paul Curtis spent his first 13 years after high school on the assembly line of Flint's historic Fisher Body Plant #1. His job entailed hanging car doors, and it left him with an aversion to getting into and out of large automobiles - particularly big Buicks.

Curtis's writing - and his dedication to it - has been greatly influenced by his family members, particularly his wife, Kaysandra. With grandfathers like Earl "Lefty" Lewis, a Negro Baseball League pitcher, and 1930s bandleader Herman E. Curtis, Sr., of Herman Curtis and the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, it is easy to see why Christopher Paul Curtis was destined to become an entertainer.

Curtis made an outstanding debut in children's literature with The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. His second novel, Bud, Not Buddy, is the first book ever to receive both the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Author Award.

Night for Notables guests will have the chance to win five of the year's Michigan Notable Books signed by their authors. Copies of all the 2009 Michigan Notable Books will be available for purchase. Night for Notables is open to all; tickets are $35. A portion of the evening's proceeds will be used to support the Library of Michigan's special collections and programs.

To reserve a spot and get more details about this special event sponsored by the Library of Michigan Foundation, call (517) 373-4692. The Library of Michigan is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center at 702 W. Kalamazoo St. in downtown Lansing. Weekend parking is free.

The programming and author tour centered around the 2009 Michigan Notable Books are sponsored by the Library of Michigan, the Library of Michigan Foundation, the Michigan Humanities Council, Cooley Law School, ProQuest, Meijer, Steelcase Foundation, Paul and Marge Potter, Auto Owners Insurance, the Michigan Center for the Book and the National Archive Publishing Company. Program partners are Borders and Schuler Books & Music. Media partners are City Pulse, WKAR, Queue Advertising, Gennara Photography and Mittenlit.com.

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Principally Preservation

Bound to Last: Preserving Paper-Based Titles

By Kevin Driedger
Cataloger and Collections Conservator

Despite the increasing prevalence of electronic periodicals and government documents, the Library of Michigan continues to receive a great quantity of paper-based titles. Sometimes these titles are well bound and require little processing before going on the shelves, but sometimes they need a sturdy binding to endure many years of use. To provide this sturdy binding, the library uses Indiana-based Heckman Bindery.

Library binding has been around for many years and has been the primary preservation activity of many libraries. Certified library binders meet exacting standards to ensure a durable binding. Additionally, library binders provide a large number of services and products to assist libraries in preserving their collections.

Kevin Driedger

The Library of Michigan binds a variety of materials:

Serials/Periodicals: These are bound with regularity, often based on the volume of materials. Some titles are bound every two to three years and some every three months.
Monographs: The library acquires a lot of locally produced materials, such as local and family histories, that often have a weak binding or none at all. These materials are selectively sent to the bindery with preference to those materials we expect will see higher use.
Repairs: Although the library repairs many of its volumes in-house, there are some volumes that are easier and more convenient to have rebound by the bindery.

In preparation to move the library's law collection, we worked with our binder to create custom archival cardboard clamshell boxes for the items in poorest condition - disintegrating leather, detaching boards and loose bindings. Each box was crafted to the specific dimensions of each book and included title and call number information on the spine.

Many library binders provide additional services. Be sure to check them out.

For further information, see:

Library Binding ANSI/NISO/LBI Z39.78-2000
Guide to the ANSI /NISO/ LBI Library Binding Standard

Both resources are available from Library Binding Institute Web site, www.lbibinders.org.

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Get Smart: Continuing Education

Rural Libraries Conference Early Bird Registration Ends March 27

By Betsy Hull
Continuing Education Coordinator

Don't miss the fun and friends at the Loleta Fyan Rural Libraries Conference, April 29 to May 1 at the Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City.

Early bird registration is $125 until March 27. A discounted room rate of $99 holds until then, but after that there is no guarantee on the rate or if there will be a room, so early reservations are encouraged. Late registration is $150 and runs from March 28 to April 24; there will be no registration at the conference.

The registration form and program brochure are available on the Library Development and Data Services Web site at www.michigan.gov/ldds.

Betsy Hull

Conference headliners include Michigan authors Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen and Gijsbert "Nick" van Frankenhuyzen, Joe Heywood, and Lorri Hathaway and Sharon Kegerreis.

Closing out the conference will be Marian the Librarian, whose complete conference overview is on the RLC Ning, rlc2009.ning.com. Marian also provided these comments about the conference:

I've been attending this conference for the last 20 years, and because I'm a leap-year baby, I've only aged five years in the last 20, but I digress. In looking over the conference offerings, I am pleased to see that Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen is our first speaker. His paintings are great, and he's not too bad either.
Distance learning is another one of the topics. I used to listen at the window of the school in Lake Neverwuz after being expelled. Is that distance learning? Go to this session and find out.
"What Genealogists Want" is the title of one session. My experience is they want my total attention, and being someone with ADD, that is a difficult bill to fill.
On Friday, don't miss "Teaching Computers to Beginners." Holly Hibner and Mary Kelly will teach you how to prevent your patrons from using Wite-Out on the screen, how to make a mouse behave and where the power button is located.
See you at the conference! I'll be wearing a yellow ribbon 'round my waist and high-heeled sneakers.

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Libraries Without Walls 2009 Is May 14

By Scott Norris
Adaptive Technology Librarian

The Library of Michigan Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped will host Libraries Without Walls on Thursday, May 14. The conference runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with registration beginning at 9 a.m.

Keynote speaker Tom Peters of TAP Services Inc. will discuss the Unabridged digital audio books project and accessibility issues surrounding people with disabilities downloading books.

Breakout sessions include demonstrations of screen reader programs, screen enlargement software, a panel of librarians who offer downloadable books at their libraries, a vendor area and more. Librarians may earn 0.4 CEUs. Registration is $10.

For more information, contact conference coordinator Scott Norris at (517) 373-5516 or norriss5@michigan.gov.

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Register Now for Boot Camp for Beginners

By Betsy Hull
Continuing Education Coordinator

Registration is now open for the Boot Camp for Beginners workshop, sponsored by the Library of Michigan, June 1-3 at North Central Michigan College in Petoskey.

This three-day conference is aimed at paraprofessional library staff members who need a formal introduction to library service. Additional online courses, provided free by the Library of Michigan through WebJunction (www.webjunction.org), will supplement the conference presentations.

In conjunction with the online courses, Boot Camp for Beginners will provide the 3.2 continuing education units required for initial Level VII certification.

Conference presentations will stress customer service, but additional topics will include library law and finance, reader's advisory, programming, technology and reference skills.

Registration is $100 and will cover all programs, meals and materials. Lodging arrangements are separate. Military fatigues not required.

Register online at www.michigan.gov/ldds. For more information, contact Continuing Education Coordinator Betsy Hull, at (517) 373-3746 or at hullb1@michigan.gov.

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WebJunction Courses Open to Michigan Library Employees

By Betsy Hull
Continuing Education Coordinator

Online classes through WebJunction, www.webjunction.org, are now available to Michigan library staff members.

The Library of Michigan has purchased these classes, making them available at no charge to users. Dozens of courses are available, from customer service and library management to Web design and development.

Registrations stay current for one year after initial signup. Always available and accessible by multiple users at the same time, these self-guided courses allow users to bookmark and return to them if they are unable to complete them in one session. In addition, all courses may be applied toward continuing education units for renewing the Level VII Certificate of Library Experience.

Contact Continuing Education Coordinator Betsy Hull, (517) 373-3746 or hullb1@michigan.gov, for a library code coupon to register at WebJunction. From there, it is a simple process to create an account with WebJunction and begin taking classes.

More tips on WebJunction classes, as well as other online programs that are approved by the Library of Michigan for continuing education units, are available on the Library Development and Data Services Web site at www.michigan.gov/ldds.

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MeL.org: The Library Made with Me in Mind

MeL.org News to Know

By Deb Biggs Thomas
MeL Coordinator

MeL.org Looks Ahead to Database Evaluation

This summer we will begin the evaluation process for the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) databases. We currently work with six vendors - GaleCengage, ProQuest, EBSCO, LearningExpress Library, OCLC and NewsBank - to provide an excellent range of commercial databases appealing to many interests, ages and research needs. What we need to hear from our library partners includes how well the databases work for you and your library users, what new content you'd like to see in MeL and if you would be willing to try out any potential additions. We will be using a variety of methods to encourage input - surveys, listservs, e-mail, etc.

Deb Biggs Thomas

MeL.org on Facebook and LinkedIn

The Michigan eLibrary now has a presence on two social networking tools - Facebook and LinkedIn. If you have a Facebook page, please do a search for MeL.org or Michigan eLibrary and become a fan. If you use LinkedIn, please join the Michigan eLibrary group. We hope to use these tools to raise awareness and promote MeL.

LearningExpress Library in MeL.org

We are pleased to report that LearningExpress, LLC, in an effort to help the growing number of people who have suffered job losses due to the economic downturn, has made available to Michigan via MeL.org additional online career-oriented resources in the LearningExpress Library database. These new Web-based tutorials include courses that guide users step-by-step in creating a resume, conducting a job search, networking and interviewing. LearningExpress, LLC tells us that Michigan's use of LearningExpress Library has increased by 60 percent since last year alone!

MeLCat by the Numbers

As of March 1:

Total number of libraries activated in MeLCat: 348

Academic: 42
Public: 282
K-12: 18
Special and tribal: 6

Items available in MeLCat: 37.1 million (9.11 bibliographic records)
Average weekly MeLCat requests in 2009: 18,674
So far in 2009, MeLCat has had 149,389 requests, with a fulfillment rate of 89.5 percent.

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MeL Gateways Increase Visits to Subject-Specific Pages

By Sonya Schryer Norris
Web Site Administrator Librarian

In September, the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) saw a redesign that was very popular for its increased visual appeal. But that's not all the redesign accomplished: MeL also morphed from providing "pathfinders" to providing "gateways," with spectacular results.

You may have noticed that we reduced the number of subject-based pages (pathfinders) that spanned the left side of the MeL homepage before September's changes. These pathfinders provided librarian-recommended Web sites with space at the top of each page for links to appropriate databases as well as sample MeLCat searches. MeL now provides gateways, with topics carefully chosen based on usage statistics and MeL's database strengths, along the left side of the MeL homepage.

Sonya Schryer Norris

We've changed the focus of these gateways so that tailored database selections, along with their descriptions, take up the center of the page. Sample MeLCat searches are now at the bottom of the page, and recommended Web sites are on the left. We also created increased visual appeal on these pages - they're less crowded and include a customized color scheme and selection of images.

The result of these strategic changes has been tremendous, and MeL's resources are being much more widely utilized. We just completed the first quarter of statistical usage reporting since the redesign and are extremely pleased with the results. Let's compare May 2008, the last in-school month that the pathfinders existed, with this January, the end of the first quarter since the redesign.

Our most-used gateways are now Kids, Books and Reading, Teens and Genealogy. Kids and teens were severely underutilized areas in the previous design, and they have seen the biggest jumps in usage!

In January, the Kids gateway was accessed 6,533 times - that's an increase of 850 percent over May 2008. For Books and Reading, the increase was 485 percent, for Teens, 654 percent and for Genealogy, 263 percent.

The resources on these pages have not changed - we still have databases, Web sites and MeLCat searches - just the focus and layout are altered. But what a difference focus and layout can make! So if you haven't stopped by MeL Gateways lately, take a moment to check them out. They're located on the left side of the MeL homepage, mel.org.

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Your Library Can Be a MeLCat Library!

By Deb Biggs Thomas
MeL Coordinator

Anyone can search MeLCat, Michigan's shared statewide catalog, but only library card holders at MeLCat participating libraries can borrow. Faster than standard interlibrary loan service, your patrons, students and faculty can benefit from the collections of more than 300 Michigan public, academic, school and special libraries on both peninsulas. Go to elibrary.mel.org/screens/participating.html to see a list of participating MeLCat libraries.

Here's what some satisfied MeLCat libraries/users had to say about this great resource:

By using the MeLCat system, $1,225,770 worth of books were borrowed for White Pine libraries/patrons in the last year via MelCat, an amount of funding for books the libraries individually would never able to spend for their collections. -- White Pine Library Cooperative
Gosh, this MeLCat is GREAT. I got all of these books on my topic and they came very fast. I never knew about MeLCat before... all of those classes I had here in the library... I wish I'd known about this before. -- A Western Michigan University student working on a senior thesis

Is your book budget shrinking? Interested in becoming a MeLCat library? Go to mlcnet.org/cms/sitem.cfm/library_tools/melcat/ to find out more. The Library of Michigan wants to welcome your library to the MeLCat family of Michigan libraries and would be pleased to know if your library would be interested in joining MeLCat so we can get you into the participation queue for the coming year and beyond. Please contact MeL Coordinator Deb Biggs Thomas, biggsthomasd@michigan.gov with your intent to join.

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Legal Ease

Researching Library Law Online

By Lance Werner
Library Law Specialist

In 2005, I wrote an article about researching library law electronically. After some discussion with my colleagues at the Library of Michigan, I decided that it might be useful to revisit this topic and to update outdated URLs. This article focuses on electronic resources for the state constitution, Michigan Compiled Laws, executive orders, Michigan attorney general opinions, state rules, state tax information, federal tax information, municipal codes, federal code provisions and the United States Constitution.

Lance Werner

Michigan

Fortunately, there are a number of superb Michigan legal resources freely available via the Web. The Michigan Legislature's Web site at http://www.legislature.mi.gov offers a cornucopia of Michigan law online, including Michigan Compiled Laws, the Constitution of 1963, pending legislation, executive orders, committee resolutions and historical documents such as the Magna Carta and the Michigan Constitution of 1835. Numerous search options are available, including queries based on citation or keyword. Additionally, Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm's executive orders are available through the Office of the Governor's Web site at www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21975---,00.html.

The Office of the Attorney General's Web page at www.michigan.gov/ag/0,1607,7-164-20988---,00.html is a terrific resource for official opinions of the Michigan attorney general dating back to Jan. 1, 1963. Searches can be conducted a variety of ways, including by opinion numbers or keywords.

Researchers can access the Michigan Register and Michigan Administrative Code through the State Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules Division of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth Web site at http://www.michigan.gov/dleg/0,1607,7-154-10576_35738---,00.html.

State tax information is available electronically through the Michigan Department of Treasury's Web site at www.michigan.gov/treasury. This site has a multitude of offerings, including information regarding nonprofit organizations, sales and use tax, property tax and State Tax Commission bulletins.

Michigan's municipal codes and ordinances are online as well. The Municipal Code Corporation's Online Library - available at www.municode.com/Resources/online Library.asp - is a fantastic free resource for researching Michigan's municipal codes. American Legal Publishing offers another great municipal code resource at www.amlegal.com/library/mi/index.shtml. Finally, the Library of Michigan provides informational library law resources, such as the Library Laws Handbook, 2007 edition. These resources can be accessed through the Department of History, Arts and Libraries' Web page at www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-18835_18894---,00.html.

Federal

As with Michigan legal information, a wealth of federal legal information is available online. Electronic offerings afford researchers access to several federal resources, including but not limited to the United States Code (USC), federal tax code and constitutional provisions.

There are several avenues to find the USC on the Web. One is Cornell University Law School's Legal Information Institute's (LII) Web site at www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/, which offers researchers a number of search options. The Government Printing Office (GPO) Web site also provides access to the USC at www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/index.html, as well as to the United States Constitution at www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/index.html.

The Internal Revenue Code is available through LII's Web site at www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/26/. The Internal Revenue Service's Web pages provide another extremely useful tool for research concerning procuring library tax certification letters and 501(c)(3) status: www.irs.gov/govt/fslg/article/0,,id=112708,00.html and www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/index.html, respectively.

Odds and Ends

Mary Minow, one of the most respected library law attorneys in the nation, has a terrific blog that addresses a variety of legal issues concerning library law. This blog, called the Library Law Blog, is available at blog.librarylaw.com. Library case law also is available electronically through Justia News and Commentary at news.justia.com/cases/library. There is a lot of great copyright information available online as well, at the U.S. Copyright Office Web site at www.copyright.gov. MeL, the Michigan eLibrary, has selected best Web sites on library law at www.mel.org/SPT--BrowseResources.php?ParentId=520.

Conclusion

The electronic resources mentioned in this article represent a fraction of what is available online. The tools listed here are the ones that I commonly use when addressing various legal issues from the library community. It is of the utmost importance that these resources are used for informational purposes only and not as a substitute for the services of a licensed attorney. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Lance M. Werner, library law specialist for the Library of Michigan, at (517) 373-1299.

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Your Good Ideas

Michigan Libraries Going Green

By Gloriane Peck
Special Collection Librarian

Several Michigan libraries are putting green technologies to work in creating efficient - and welcoming - spaces for their patrons.

The new Hastings Public Library, hastings.llcoop.org/index.html, received Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in October for its clean air circulation, use of sunlight and many recycled products.

Hastings Public Library's south entrance.

Featuring roof gardens and a rain garden that process water runoff from the building and parking lot to return cleaner water to the water table, Hastings Public Library also used recycled or sustainable materials for the building's carpeting, furnishings and wall coverings. For additional photos and more details, go to hastings.llcoop.org/green.html.

The Pittsfield and Malletts Creek branches of the Ann Arbor District Library, www.aadl.org, both demonstrate green design principles. Malletts Creek, www.aadl.org/buildings/mallettscreek, utilizes solar heating, natural daylighting and convection cooling. Outside, the building's landscaping includes native plants, and storm water is naturally captured and filtered. Pittsfield, www.aadl.org/buildings/pittsfield, used recycled building materials or those that required less energy in the manufacturing and transportation processes. Construction practices called for waste materials to be recycled.

The Delta Township District Library, www.dtdl.org, opened its new building in June 2008. From energy-efficient outdoor lighting and drought-resistant landscaping to recycled building materials and windows glazed to filter UV rays and reduce heat loss, the library uses green practices inside and out. For more information, check out www.dtdl.org/?page_id=176.

Harper Woods Public Library was the first public library in Michigan to earn a LEED Green Building award, receiving a Silver Level certificate in 2005. During the building's construction, 91 percent of waste was diverted from landfills through sorting and recycling. The woods used in doors and cabinetry were grown in certified sustainable forests, and bike racks and the library's location on a bus line encourage alternative transportation. For more information, go to http://www.libcoop.net/harperwoods/.

Further reading on green building projects:

U.S. Green Building Council: www.usgbc.org/Default.aspx
Green Libraries: www.greenlibraries.org/
State Historic Preservation Office's Green Architecture Web page: www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17445_19273_19318-190700--,00.html

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HAL Highlights

Essay Contest Invites Michigan Students to Explore Abraham Lincoln's Legacy of Leadership

By Sarah Lapshan
Communications Director, Department of History, Arts and Libraries

The Michigan Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee, in partnership with the Michigan Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), is pleased to announce "Essays About Lincoln," a statewide writing contest celebrating Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday.

Entry deadline is April 4, and full details are available at www.milincoln.org

According to Dr. William Anderson, chair of Michigan's Lincoln committee and retired director of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (in which the committee is housed), Lincoln's was a life well worth remembering, studying and emulating.

"Since presidential scholars first began ranking our presidents some 60 years ago, Abraham Lincoln has consistently been rated among the top three," Anderson said. "I think the time is right for Michigan's young people to take a closer look at Lincoln's legacy and consider how his life lessons and principles still serve as a guiding force."

"President Lincoln's life was filled with immense challenges and yet he never gave up trying to better himself. His legacy stands as a symbol of what can be achieved through commitment, compassion and honesty," said Bruce B. Butgereit, commander, Commandery of the State of Michigan, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. "Many students in our schools today face similar obstacles in their lives. It is hoped that by giving students an opportunity to study and write an essay about Lincoln, they will better understand who they are and how Lincoln's example can serve as an inspiration to them."

Butgereit noted that the essay contest is designed to support Michigan English Language Arts and Social Studies curriculum standards, including those for language, literature, voice, depth of understanding, ideas in action, inquiry and research, critical standards, and historical perspective.

Awards will be given for a first-, second- and third-place winning essay from each of the three grade competition levels (grades 5-6, grades 7-8 and grades 9-12). All winners will receive a certificate of achievement that includes Governor Jennifer Granholm's signature, a "portrait" of Abraham Lincoln in the form of a new $5 bill, and a figurine or framed print of Abraham Lincoln. Winning essays also may be published or displayed in various locations, publications and Web sites. For full contest rules, mailing guidelines and downloadable entry coupon and release form, visit www.milincoln.org. For more information, contact the Michigan Commandery at (616) 827-3369 or patriotblue1@yahoo.com.

All entries must be postmarked by April 4 and mailed to:

Lincoln Bicentennial Essays
MOLLUS Michigan Commandery
P.O. Box 888281
Grand Rapids, MI 49588

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