FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 12, 2018 LANSING, March 14, 2018 - Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS) announced today that Randy Dykhuis, Executive Director, will retire from his position effective December 31, 2018. Dykhuis has been the Executive Director of MCLS since its creation in 2010. Prior to that, he served as the Executive Director of the Michigan Library Consortium (MLC) for 15 years. Dykhuis helped craft the formation of MCLS, which came about through the combination of MLC and the Indiana Cooperative Library Services Authority (INCOLSA). Both MLC and INCOLSA were formed in 1974 to promote resource sharing, develop online bibliographic management, and present training and continuing education for their respective memberships. MCLS continued those traditions as a two-state consortium while moving in significant new directions. Board President Eva Davis stated, "Randy's leadership and vision laid the foundation for the success of MCLS, and his ability to execute our strategy has resulted in the high-performing organization we are today. We have Randy to thank for laying this groundwork as we move into the next phase of MCLS's evolution." Dykhuis led the organization as it made the transition from two single-state consortia to one regional consortium. Shepherding more than $25 million annually in e-resources contracts, creating a compelling training and continuing education calendar, supporting and helping evolve the Michigan eLibrary, and most recently starting a consulting service, MCLS demonstrates its ongoing commitment to serving libraries of all sizes and types. Over the past eight years, MCLS has evolved its services and programs to make it more responsive to its diverse membership. Recognizing that the work of consortia is constantly adapting to a changing environment, MCLS embarked on a strategic renewal process in 2013. By adopting the turning outward framework of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, MCLS engaged in a series of community conversations that has resulted in significant reorganization and shifts within the organization. "We have been members of MCLS since the beginning, and I am most impressed by the way Randy and his team sought input from the membership and the way they acted upon what they heard," said Robert Roethemeyer, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Mission Execution and Director of the Library at Concordia Theological Seminary and former Board president. "I am grateful to have been part of the progress that libraries in our region have made in the last 20 years," said Dykhuis. "It's been an honor and privilege to have worked alongside so many outstanding librarians, the Board of Directors, and the MCLS staff. We have demonstrated the power of collaborative action and how much we can accomplish by working together." Scott Garrison, Dean of the Library at Ferris State University and Vice President of the Board, will chair the search committee. Information about the timeline and process for hiring a new Executive Director will be shared with the membership in the upcoming weeks. About MCLS MCLS is a non-profit, member driven organization whose mission is to facilitate sharing resources and knowledge among its members and to collaborate with other organizations to benefit Indiana and Michigan libraries. #####