For 20 years, the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) has united Michigan libraries from coast to coast, big to small, and public to academic. As IMLS funding finds itself staring down the barrel of a gun, it's more important than ever that we share the impact that funding has on our patrons. The MeL map is a showcase of MeL transactions since 2006 between Wayne State University libraries and its statewide partners.
Learning Objective(s): 1) Examine the role of data visualization in strengthening library partnerships across diverse sectors, and how these tools can foster a deeper understanding of library impact on local and statewide communities; and 2) Assess the power of storytelling through statistics in library advocacy, understanding how libraries can creatively represent their value and demonstrate their contributions, especially in the face of the IMLS crisis.
