Greetings, Ploud (Public Libraries in the Cloud) is a website template and hosting solution. This fall the LM is hosting a series of day-long, hands-on workshops about the product. Are you curious about this service? Take advantage of one of the workshop dates to learn more. Cost is $20.00 per person and the locations are below: MIDWEST COLLABORATIVE FOR LIBRARY SERVICES, LANSING Tuesday, Sept 5 - 10 am to 4 pm BAYLISS PUBLIC LIBRARY, SAULT STE. MARIE Tuesday, Sept 19 - 10 am to 4 pm CADILLAC-WEXFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY, CADILLAC Tuesday, Oct 3 - 10 am to 4 pm WHITE LAKE COMMUNITY LIBRARY, WHITEHALL Thursday, Oct 5 - 10 am to 4 pm MARSHALL DISTRICT LIBRARY, MARSHALL Tuesday, Oct 10 - 10 am to 4 pm SUBURBAN LIBRARY CO-OP, STERLING HEIGHTS Wednesday, October 25 - 10 am to 4 pm Ploud is designed for small and rural libraries, provided by vendor Enfold Systems and subsidized with Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) dollars through the LM. Over 100 Michigan libraries utilize Ploud for their websites. Are you thinking about changing website services? Consider Ploud. Michigan Ploud libraries will pay $200 this year. For that low cost libraries are able to take advantage of one of four templates, each of which comes with between four and a dozen color schemes that can be changed at any time; hosting; a vendor-provided help desk; and on-going development. A subdomain of "michlibrary.org" such as "MYLIBRARY.michlibrary.org" is available to new libraries or you are free to use your own domain name. And there's no uploading HTML files with Ploud. In fact, you don't need to know any HTML at all. You simply log onto your site and from there you can edit text, images and links from an easy-to-use interface that requires no coding. Ploud is great for libraries without specialized technology staff. Ploud comes with carousels, or rotating images, which you can use on any page; optional drag and drop page layouts; a selection of MeL databases which can easily be extended for your patron base; an intuitive calendar for library events; a News section; a Kids & Teens area; and a Contact Us form. From there you can develop any new content that you'd like. Your Ploud website can be as small or as large as you care to build it. To get an idea of what the product looks like and how Michigan libraries are using it check out these sites: * Cadillac Wexford Public Library<http://www.cadillaclibrary.org/> * Caro Area District Library<http://www.carolibrary.org/> * Crooked Tree District Library<http://crookedtree.ploud.net/> * Leelanau Township Library<http://www.leelanautownshiplibrary.org/> * Presque Isle District Library<https://pidl.ploud.net/> * Walled Lake City Library<http://walledlake.ploud.net/> Questions? Contact Sonya Schryer Norris at norriss2@michigan.gov<mailto:norriss2@michigan.gov> or 517-373-4457. You can also check out the program website<http://michlibrary.org/>. This summer is a perfect time to consider Ploud. Sonya Schryer Norris Library of Michigan 702 W. Kalamazoo St. PO Box 30009 Lansing, MI 48909 517-373-4457 http://www.michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan http://www.mel.org<http://www.mel.org/> http://www.michlibrary.org<http://www.michlibrary.org/> Nourishing Michigan's Future...during school and during the summer! Find a Summer Food Service Program site nearest you and encourage Michigan's children to Meet Up and Eat Up! www.michigan.gov/meetupeatup<http://www.michigan.gov/meetupeatup> [cid:image002.png@01D2CD53.CCC38130]