Michigan Poet Laureate Nandi Comer at Michigan Department of Education All-Staff, plus Library of Michigan tour with State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice.
Tuesday May 23, 2023 proved to be an exceptionally busy day at the Library of Michigan. The morning was headlined with Michigan Poet Laureate Nandi Comer speaking at the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) All-Staff meeting in the Library of Michigan Forum. Nandi highlighted several of her poems as well as had a Q&A session with MDE State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice. Their conversation covered topics including poets that have influenced Nandi as well as the value and impact of poetry on children across Michigan.
Following the All-Staff meeting, Dr. Rice and Deputy Superintendent (Finance and Operations) Dr. Diane Golzynski joined State Librarian Randy Riley for a tour of the Library of Michigan. Riley and several LM staff highlighted the history and services of the state library, in addition to showcasing several collection areas of the library. A special thank-you to both Dr. Rice and Dr. Golzynski for the opportunity to showcase the wide range of materials and services offered by the Library of Michigan!
 Michigan Poet Laureate Nandi Comer speaking at the Michigan Department of Education All-Staff, plus MDE State Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice and Deputy Superintendent (Finance and Operations) Dr. Diane Golzynski touring the Library of Michigan with State Librarian Randy Riley and other LM staff.
"History of the Library of Michigan: Celebrating 195 Years of Service" Virtual Program
This past Thursday evening the Library of Michigan offered a special virtual program as a lead-up to the Library of Michigan's 195th anniversary on June 16. Community Engagement Librarian Adam Oster and Michigan Documents Librarian Bernadette Bartlett were joined by Michigan State Capitol Historian & Curator Valerie Marvin for a panel discussion covering a wide range of topics tied to the Library of Michigan's 195 years of service. The conversation explored the formation of the library in the territorial capitol of Detroit before moving to Lansing, the early uses of the collection, highlighted key state librarians (e.g., Harriet Tenney, Mary Spencer, Mary Frankhauser, and Loleta Fyan) who guided the library throughout the decades, discussed the expansion of the library's collections and services, and featured several other topics related to the legacy of the library.
The virtual conversation was recorded and will soon be available with other past Library of Michigan virtual programs on YouTube. Find a complete schedule of Library of Michigan virtual programs and registration information at www.Michigan.gov/LMPublicPrograms. Be sure to also look for additional content related to the Library of Michigan's anniversary between now and June 16.
 (L-R) Community Engagement Librarian Adam Oster, Michigan Documents Librarian Bernadette Bartlett, and Michigan State Capitol Historian & Curator Valerie Marvin discussing the history of the Library of Michigan.
Library of Michigan Staff at National Genealogical Society Conference
Professional development and on-going education are necessary functions for Library of Michigan staff. This week Michigan Collection Librarian Mindy Babarskis and Digitization Librarian Jennifer Sasota joined hundreds of librarians, archivists, and family history researchers across the country at the National Genealogical Society Family History Conference in Richmond, Virginia. Educational events like the NGS Conference offer a vast number of learning opportunities for LM staff, such as gaining a greater understanding of various forms of research materials/collections, exploring programs developed around family history topics, and seeing up-to-date digitization projects and techniques showcased by institutions from all over the United States.
In addition to attending the conference, Mindy and Jennifer also paid a visit to the Library of Virginia, the state of Virginia's counterpart to the Library of Michigan. The Library of Virginia is housed in a beautiful facility opened 1997 and is just a short walk north of the Virginia State Capitol. Their facility houses the most comprehensive collection of materials on Virginia government, history, and culture, plus advances the development of library and records management services across Virginia. This year, it is celebrating its 200th anniversary. Discover more about the Library of Virginia by going to the library's website at www.lva.virginia.gov or by viewing a short introductory video about the library on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Za9cgWaFXeU
 Michigan Collection Librarian Mindy Babarskis and Digitization Librarian Jennifer Sasota at the Library of Virginia and National Genealogical Society Conference in Richmond, Virginia.
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