<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body>
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15">
<meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 15">
<style>
<!--
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math"}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri}
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline}
span.EmailStyle17
{font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext}
span.SpellE
{}
.MsoChpDefault
{font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif}
@page WordSection1
{margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in}
div.WordSection1
{}
-->
</style></div>
<div class="WordSection1">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img width="128" height="128" src="cid:image002.png@01D83874.B69046A0" align="left" hspace="12" alt="A picture containing text, clipart, sign
Description automatically generated"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">In
the spirit of Throwback Thursday, we’re excited to welcome Heather Wood-Gramza as the new
<span class="SpellE">MeL</span> Coordinator. Back in October of 2020, Heather and Vanessa
<span class="SpellE">Walstra</span> wrote a <span class="SpellE">MeL</span> Minute about
<a href="https://www.mel.org/blog/MeL-is-Magical-Self-Care-Edition-64010">practicing self-care</a>. Little did she know then that less than two years later she would be working as part of the
<span class="SpellE">MeL</span> team. We sat down with Heather via Zoom last week to get to know her better and wanted to share some of what we learned.
</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Heather first came to the library world via a school library. When the recession hit, she moved into public libraries, working with teens while earning her MLIS at Wayne State.
After attaining her degree, Heather held a variety of positions including Branch Manager in the Kent District Library system before transitioning to the Director at Howard Miller Public Library in Zeeland.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Heather has been an advocate for
<span class="SpellE">MeL</span>. From encouraging educators to allow students to use
<a href="https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?database=ebsco-e700xna">
eBooks</a> as sources for research to using <a href="http://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?database=atoz">
<span class="SpellE">AtoZdatabases</span></a> to connect the city to new businesses, she has used
<span class="SpellE">MeL</span> for a wide variety of purposes and sees its value among various audiences.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">We should not be surprised that Heather is a
<span class="SpellE">MeL</span> Maven. After all, she is the person who <a href="https://www.mel.org/blog/MeL-Badge-Contest-Winner">
named the <span class="SpellE">MeL</span> Maven Badge</a>. After completing her Badge, Heather encouraged her staff to add the Badge to their goals to get them excited about helping patrons find information using the
<span class="SpellE">MeL</span> <span class="SpellE">eResources</span>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Heather loves to brainstorm and generate ideas for new services. In fact, she instituted curbside library services pre-pandemic and was able to share her knowledge and experience
to help other libraries pivot when the pandemic began.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">We wanted to know which
<span class="SpellE">eResources</span> Heather likes best and how she has used them. She shared that she has used
<a href="http://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?database=atoz">
<span class="SpellE">AtoZdatabases</span></a> extensively, including to create lists of people who are new to town to make sure they are welcomed. Heather also showed us a quilling project she created using
<a href="https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customlink/proxify/proxify.php?count=1&encode=1&proxy=https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?url=&target=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cfh&AN=64368322&site=hcrc-live">
instructions</a> from <a href="https://widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?database=ebscoprofile-hcrc">
Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center</a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">In her life outside of libraries, Heather loves the outdoors and activities such as camping and biking. She and her husband have three children including a daughter who is a
student at Ferris State University and two sons, one who is getting married this spring and one who will graduate from college in May.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Heather is excited to be working with libraries in different way and we know she is going to bring lots of fresh, new ideas. Welcome, Heather!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:7.5pt; background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#333333">If you are having any issues linking to items on this page, please explore the </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black"><a href="https://www.mcls.org/mel/mel-databases/help/remote-access/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color:#2954D1">MeL
eResource Access Page.</span></b></a></span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#333333"> Contact
</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black"><a href="mailto:melerhelp@mcls.org"><b><span style="color:blue">melerhelp@mcls.org</span></b></a></span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#333333">
for help.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:7.5pt; background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#333333">Brought to you by
<b>Laura Warren-Gross and Ann Kaskinen</b> from the <span class="SpellE">MeL</span> Team. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:7.5pt; background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:#333333">Supporting Michigan Libraries by Putting You First. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">Hey front line staff: The
<span class="SpellE">MeL</span> Maven Badge is a 6-part Information Literacy and <span class="SpellE">
eResource</span> adventure designed for you. Start earning your Badge today at </span>
<span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="https://mel.org/welcome"><span style="color:blue">MeL.org</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">!</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">Want more information on
<span class="SpellE">MeL</span>? Stay tuned for the next <span class="SpellE">MeL</span> Minute available on many Michigan library listservs, visit </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black"><a href="http://mel.org/"><span style="color:#1155CC">http://mel.org</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">,
or sign up for the <span class="SpellE">MeL</span> Minute and other Library of Michigan e-mail lists via
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black"><a href="https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MILOM/subscriber/new"><span style="color:#1155CC">GovDelivery</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">.
We encourage you to share <span class="SpellE">MeL</span> Minutes with your colleagues and networks. </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span class="SpellE"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">MeL</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">
<span class="SpellE">eResources</span> are available to Michigan residents or for Michigan library or school access only. </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; color:black">#IMLSGrant
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style="">Laura Warren-Gross</span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="">Engagement Specialist for Public Libraries</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="">Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="">1 800 530 9019 ext 152</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mcls.org"><span style=""><span style="color:blue; text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="29" height="29" id="Picture_x0020_15" src="cid:image003.png@01D83874.B69046A0" alt="facebook"></span></span><span style=""></span></a><span style=""><span style="">
</span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/mclsorg"><span style=""><span style="color:blue; text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="29" height="29" id="Picture_x0020_16" src="cid:image004.png@01D83874.B69046A0" alt="twitter"></span></span><span style=""></span></a><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span><a href="http://www.mcls.org/"><span style=""><span style="color:windowtext; text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="29" height="29" id="Picture_x0020_17" src="cid:image005.png@01D83874.B69046A0" alt="square-logo-1 (002)"></span></span><span style=""></span></a><span style=""><span style=""></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span></p>
<span style=""></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>